Astrobiology of Returned Samples

About the NASA Postdoctoral Program

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA-affiliated research institute. These one- to three-year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.

Description

Returned samples are critical to gaining knowledge of the formation and distribution of complex organic molecules in space. Understanding this prebiotic chemistry enables us to understand the underlying planetary processes that are responsible for the fidelity, resilience or detectability of biosignatures. As future scientists study the organic chemistry of returned samples, they will need to understand how the compounds they detect relate to the prebiotic chemistry of the parent object and its precursors.

Despite the importance of understanding the astrobiology and prebiotic chemistry relevant to returned samples, this work is generally beyond the scope of analyses by the mission science teams. Furthermore, individual ROSES awards are typically too narrow to simultaneously incorporate the necessary planetary and astrophysical background as well as to cross-compare lessons from different bodies and missions. The work here will investigate the chemical, isotopic, chiral, and spatial distribution of sample-return organics to ask our core question:

What do returned samples teach us about abiotic organic chemical evolution to guide the search for biosignatures?

We will conduct investigations outside the scope of current missions to maximize the value of returned samples. We will use a combination of laboratory experiments, observations, and models relevant to objects and locations of current and planned sample return missions and these include:

• The Artemis project will return material from potentially volatile-rich polar regions of the Moon.
• Samples from organic rich-asteroids returned from C-type asteroid Ryugu by the JAXA Hayabusa2 mission and B-type asteroid Bennu by OSIRIS-REx.
• Samples from the martian moon Phobos will be returned by the JAXA MMX mission in 2029.
• Samples from Mars will be collected by the Perseverance rover from the Jezero region and returned to Earth by the Mars Sample Return campaign.

Location

Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland

Field of Science

Astrobiology

Advisors

• Steven Charnley
  Steven.B.Charnley@nasa.gov
  301-286-9706
• Reggie Hudson
  reggie.hudson@nasa.gov
  301-286-6961
• Natasha Johnson
  Natasha.M.Johnson@nasa.gov
  301-286-3919
• Amy McAdam
  amy.mcadam-1@nasa.gov
  301.614.6585
• Stefanie Milam
  Stefanie.N.Milam@nasa.gov
  301-614-6902
• Joseph Andrew Nuth
  joseph.a.nuth@nasa.gov
  301-286-9467
• Eric Parker
  eric.t.parker@nasa.gov
  301-614-5107
• Noah Petro
  Noah.E.Petro@nasa.gov
  301-614-6498
• Geronimo L. Villanueva
  geronimo.villanueva@nasa.gov
  301-286-1528
• Christopher Kroboth Materese
  christopher.k.materese@nasa.gov
  (301) 286-7502
• Hannah Kaplan
  hannah.kaplan@nasa.gov
  (781) 799-1097
• Jose Aponte
  jose.c.aponte@nasa.gov
  301-614-6916

Application Instructions

- Research proposal
- Three letters of recommendation
- Official doctoral transcript documents

Questions

Please email npp@orau.org for questions about this opportunity.

Eligibility

Eligibility is currently open to:

• U.S. Citizens;
• U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
• Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J-1 visa status; and,
• Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with 1) a valid EAD card and 2) I-485 or I-589 forms in pending status

Contact Information

For more information, please visit the NASA Postdoctoral Program website: How to Apply | NASA Postdoctoral Program (orau.org)