Lunar Plume CFD/DSMC Analyst

Blue Origin; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 121,000 - 169,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a Fluids Systems Analyst to join the Plume Analysis team for the Lunar Transfer Stage vehicle. You will simulate plume flowfields across continuum and rarefied regimes, coordinating with design teams from thermal, structures, GNC, EVA, and propulsion to translate requirements into analyses.

You will work with NASA partners, deliver results, and contribute to boundary conditions for design teams, using Python pipelines and HPC/cloud resources.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field preferred; BS with commensurate experience
• 5-7 years of experience in space vehicle, launch vehicle, or high-altitude flow modeling and simulation
• Experience with the full CFD analysis process: geometry preparation, meshing, solver execution, and post-processing
• Understanding of compressible fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and thermodynamics in rocket propulsion and vacuum plume expansion environments
• Experience with rarefied flow modeling and fundamental understanding of related concepts: Knudsen number, continuum breakdown, DSMC or DSMC-adjacent methods, mean free path, and transition-regime flow
• Proficiency with Python for scientific computing and post-processing

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with thermal, structures, GNC, EVA, and propulsion design teams to understand analysis requirements and translate them into simulation tasks
• Develop analysis approaches for plume flowfield characterization, surface impingement heat flux, and pressure loads across continuum and rarefied flow regimes
• Execute the full analysis pipeline: CAD preparation and defeaturing, mesh generation, CFD/DSMC simulation, post-processing, and results delivery
• Perform 2D axisymmetric and 3D CFD simulations of rocket nozzle and plume flowfields using research-grade solvers on HPC and cloud infrastructure
• Perform rarefied gas dynamics (DSMC) analysis for far-field plume environments and surface impingement heating
• Develop Python-based post-processing and analysis pipelines for heat flux, pressure, contamination transport, and ejecta distributions
• Deliver surface heat flux and pressure boundary conditions to design teams via Boundary Condition Mapper (BCM) and formal reports
• Support active NASA collaborations with ongoing technical deliverables and meeting participation
• Document analyses in formal reports conforming to NASA HLS DRD standards

Skills

Python for scientific computing

CFD/DSMC analysis

Rocket plume physics

HPC/Cloud computing

Education

MS in Aerospace Engineering

PhD in Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Loci/CHEM

DPLR

LAURA

US3D

Pointwise

SpaceClaim

ANSA

DAC

SPARTA

Job description

Blue Origin is seeking a Fluids Systems Analyst to join the Plume Analysis team for the Lunar Transfer Stage vehicle. You will simulate plume flowfields across continuum and rarefied regimes, coordinating with design teams from thermal, structures, GNC, EVA, and propulsion to translate requirements into analyses.

You will work with NASA partners, deliver results, and contribute to boundary conditions for design teams, using Python pipelines and HPC/cloud resources.