What are the responsibilities and job description for the Astrobiology of Returned Samples position at Zintellect?
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
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