Rarefied Gas Dynamics Spacecraft and Planetary

Organization

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

0339-NPP-NOV
26-JPL-Interdisc

All applications must be submitted in Zintellect. Please visit the NASA Postdoctoral Program website for application instructions and requirements.

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

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.

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).

• 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

Moogega Cooper
Moogega.

Coopera.gov

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://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

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

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

• 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

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

Mikeala

• Degree:
  Doctoral Degree.