Space Environment Engineer

Mclaurin Aerospace•Houston, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Space Environment Engineer will support NASA programs in defining natural and induced space environments through multidisciplinary analysis and modeling, working with NASA civil servants and designated contractors. The role includes developing and updating semi-empirical and theoretical models, analyzing contamination sources and transport, assessing effects on spacecraft hardware, and providing systems engineering support throughout program lifecycles. The engineer will also support trade studies, hazard and risk reviews, and program milestone reviews. The position is part of the JETS II contract team at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The role has been advertised at multiple levels, and the employer may consider candidates at any advertised level depending on experience, requirements, and business needs. A bachelor's degree in Engineering and typically 5–10 years of related experience are stated; the qualifications also list at least 3 years of related experience or an equivalent combination of technical education and experience. A master's or doctoral degree and at least 5 years of related experience are preferred. US citizenship and the ability to pass a comprehensive security background investigation are required.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering; the posting says this position typically requires a bachelor's degree.
Typically 5–10 years of related experience; the qualifications also state 3 or more years of related work experience or an equivalent combination of technical education and experience.
Experience using Microsoft Office Suite.
Experience in scientific computer programming and software development for analytical and physics-based modeling and simulation.
Strong analytical and computational skills.
Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary field.
Effective written and verbal communication skills.
License and certification may be required.
US citizenship and ability to pass a comprehensive security background investigation.

Nice To Haves

Master's or Ph.D. in Engineering (Aerospace, Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, Nuclear), Physics, or Chemistry.
5 or more years of related work experience or an equivalent combination of technical education and experience.
Experience with NASA programs and projects, such as Gateway and Artemis.
Experience with external contamination or molecular deposition analysis codes and tools, including CAD, meshing, and visualization software such as Matlab, Python, Creo, NX, FEMAP, Tecplot, ParaView, and LS Dyna.
Experience with materials outgassing, molecular transport, thin-film deposition, optical-property degradation, molecular gas dynamics, or multiphase flows.
Experience with hypergolic and Hall Effect thruster operation and associated plume characteristics.
Experience with NASA and industry standards relating to contamination control and experimental characterization of materials outgassing, such as ASTM E1559.
Knowledge of natural and induced space environments and related materials effects, including thermal vacuum stability, ionizing and ultraviolet radiation, plasma charging, atomic oxygen, and thermal cycling.
Knowledge of lunar dust characteristics and effects, including optical-property and impact-damage assessments, and knowledge of the lunar surface environment.
Knowledge of GCR, solar wind/plasma, CMEs/SEPs, and solar irradiance.
Experience with plasma charging and ionizing radiation analyses or related tools, such as NASCAP, SPIS, IRI, AE9/AP9, CREME96, SHIELDOSE, ESP/PHYCHIC, MCNP, HZTRAN, and SPENVIS.
Experience with the Linux operating system.

Responsibilities

Support NASA programs in defining natural and induced space environments through multidisciplinary analysis and modeling.
Develop and update semi-empirical and theoretical models of processes relevant to spacecraft natural and induced environments.
Analyze and model molecular and particulate contamination sources, including lunar dust, and transport from materials outgassing, vacuum venting, and rocket engine and thruster plume processes onto spacecraft, elements, and payloads.
Analyze the optical-property impacts of molecular and particulate contamination, including lunar dust, and exposure to orbital and lunar surface environments such as ultraviolet radiation, ionizing radiation, and atomic oxygen.
Analyze and model plasma effects, spacecraft charging, radiation transport, and effects on hardware.
Assess spacecraft hardware compatibility with natural and induced space environments.
Provide systems engineering support for space-environment requirements and verification plan development, as well as requirements and verification activities throughout a program.
Conduct systems engineering trade studies to identify potential risks and mitigations, evaluate induced environmental hazards between vehicles, and participate in hazard and risk reviews.
Participate in programmatic milestone reviews.
Perform other duties as required.