OPTICAL DESIGN AND MODELING FOR THE HABITABLE WORLDS OBSERVATORY

ORAU; Greenbelt (MD); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research organization offers postdoctoral opportunities at NASA for candidates with a Doctoral Degree. This program focuses on research in astrobiology, optical design, and advanced space flight instrumentation. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents to apply. Responsibilities include performing optical design trades and contributing to advanced modeling for NASA projects. Interested candidates may reach out to the provided contact for inquiries.

Qualifications

• Doctoral Degree in a relevant field.
• Eligibility for U.S. lawful residency or visa status.

Responsibilities

• Engage in research at NASA on advanced space flight instrumentation.
• Perform optical design trades and analyses.
• Design and model optical systems and instrumentation.

Education

Doctoral Degree

Job description

Organization

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Reference Code

0277-NPP-NOV26-GSFC-Astrophys

Field of Science

Astrophysics

Description

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 an affiliated research institute. These one‑to‑three‑year fellowships advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.

Research and development opportunities exist at NASA in the optical design and modeling of advanced space flight instrumentation for the Habitable Worlds Observatory. Mission support involves performing optical design trades, detailed optical system and component design, tolerancing, performance analyses and modeling, and specifying optical components for fabrication. Current interests include the design and modeling of centered and unobscured all‑reflective and catadioptric optical systems, freeform optics, lens system design, coronagraph and star‑shade design and modeling, spectroscopic instrumentation design and analysis, wavefront sensing and control of active optical systems, and polarization ray tracing including birefringent materials. Additional research topics consist of gradient index optics, holograms and holographic optical elements design, wave propagation, optomechanical design, stray light design and analysis, edge sensors, laser metrology trusses and in‑process optical testing. Extensive computational resources and metrology test facilities are available for post‑doc work here at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

Advisors

Joseph Howard – [e-mail], (301) 286‑0690

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Doctoral Degree.

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;
• 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.

Contact

Questions about this opportunity? Please email [e-mail].

Point of Contact: Mikeala