Rarefied Gas Dynamics for Spacecraft and Planetary Applications

Organization

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Reference Code

0339-NPP-NOV26-JPL-Interdisc

How To Apply

All applications must be submitted in Zintellect

Please visit the NASA Postdoctoral Program website for application instructions and requirements: How to Apply | NASA Postdoctoral Program (orau.org)

A complete application to the NASA Postdoctoral Program includes:

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

Application Deadline

11/1/2026 6:00:59 PM Eastern Time Zone

Description

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:

We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to develop and apply Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) rarefied gas dynamics capabilities for spacecraft and planetary body applications at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

Research Focus

The successful candidate will:

• Analyze historical mission data to validate and demonstrate modeling capabilities
• Develop advanced DSMC modeling capabilities for rarefied gas dynamics environments relevant to spacecraft operations and planetary atmospheres
• Apply computational models to current JPL missions, supporting mission design, operations, and data analysis
• Collaborate with mission teams across multiple JPL projects
• Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at scientific conferences
  
  

Field of Science: Interdisciplinary/Other

Advisors:

Moogega Cooper

Moogega.Cooper@jpl.nasa.gov

(818) 205-5573

Applications with citizens from Designated Countries will not be accepted at this time, unless they are Legal Permanent Residents of the United States. A complete list of Designated Countries can be found at: https://www.nasa.gov/oiir/export-control.

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
  
  

Questions about this opportunity? Please email npp@orau.org

Qualifications

Education

• Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related field.
  
  

Technical Skills (Required)

• Demonstrated experience with computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
• Demonstrated experience with DSMC
• Strong background in rarefied gas dynamics and kinetic theory
• Publications in rarefied gas dynamics or computational fluid dynamics
• Experience with high-performance computing environments
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous work on spacecraft or planetary atmosphere modeling
• Experience with mission data analysis
• Knowledge of NASA mission environments and constraints
• Familiarity with the following tools: STAR-CCM , COMSOL, or similar software.
• Knowledge in SPARTA (Stochastic PArallel Rarefied-gas Time-accurate Analyzer) and DAC (DSMC Analysis Code), or similar tools.
  
  

Point of Contact

Mikeala

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Doctoral Degree.