Orbital Debris In-Situ Sensor Mission Support
About the role
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.
Responsibilities
- Work with NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) at NASA/JSC to develop technologies to characterize the small (millimeter-sized) orbital debris environment in low-Earth orbit.
- Support the development of an in situ sensor and provide oversight and analyses that directly support the mission.
- Investigate design and development of a flight-like simulator on thin film hypervelocity impact perforations.
- Investigate hypervelocity impact-induced acoustic signal generation/propagation on thin films and syntactic foams to support pre-flight ground-based testing and data collection/calibration during mission operations.
- Contribute to other MACS-related engineering mission support.
Requirements
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
- Degree: Doctoral Degree
Qualifications
Applicants should have completed their degree within the last five years at the time of appointment and possess a Ph.D. in a relevant field such as mechanical engineering, materials science, physics, or related disciplines.
Skills
Strong background in materials science, mechanical engineering, or related fields, with experience in hypervelocity impact testing, acoustic characterization, and sensor development.
Benefits
Opportunities to work on cutting-edge technology development projects with leading experts in the field.
Pay
$67,000 per year
Schedule
Full-time, one- to three-year term appointment