USRA provides several types of opportunities for scientists and to contribute to current NASA projects in collaboration with researchers at a NASA Center.
Through direct hiring and placement of students through the Center for Research and Exploration in Space Technology (CRESST) Program, USRA maintains a staff of scientific researchers, organizes scientific meetings and workshops, supports visiting scientists and colloquia speakers, and encourages various interactions with students and university faculty members. Designated personnel also devote themselves to outreach efforts directed at U.S. students and the general public.
"Some USRA scientists have 'tours of duty' at Goddard [Space Flight Center] limited to a few years, while others can take on sizeable programmatic responsibilities. At Goddard, USRA scientists make major contributions to science research, community support of active astronomy missions, and public education and outreach."
- Dr. Alan Smale, USRA
More information on CRESST's post-doctoral research opportunities can be found here.
The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) has numerous opportunities for post-doctoral fellows in planetary sciences, with preference given to topics that enhance the interactions between LPI and the Astromaterials Research Group at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). More information on LPI's post-doctoral research opportunities can be found here.
LPI also manages the Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts-Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) Program, which involves students and faculty in the Exploration Systems Architecture for returning humans to the Moon.
To: Karen Hilser, Lunar and Planetary Institute
From: Kris Zacny
Date: 29 October 2007
Dear Dr. Hilser:
While a graduate student at UC Berkeley, I presented at RASC-AL with my undergraduate team twice (2003 and 2004). In particular, in 2004 we presented a novel means of mining the moon using pneumatics. This work was a basis for my SBIR Phase I proposal to NASA ISRU topic, which was subsequently funded at $100k level in November of 2006. In addition, the initial technique of mining the regolith has been spanned off into regolith transport and a method of regolith heating for oxygen extraction process. The result of the Phase I work was so successful that NASA decided to award us this month the SBIR Phase II contract at $600k level.
I attach our original RASC-AL paper as well as a poster and an abstract that were presented at the International Conference on Mars 2007 and the Space Resources Roundtable 2007, respectively
I believe that RASC-AL played a great role in stimulating our initial thought process and no doubt contributed to a development of a completely new lunar mining technique.
Best,
Kris
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Kris Zacny, PhD
Director, Drilling and Excavation Systems
Honeybee Robotics Spacecraft Mechanisms Corporation
The USRA Huntsville Office, in cooperation with the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), sponsors visits by university faculty members, graduate and undergraduate students; sabbatical and summer visits; graduate-student assistantships; and workshops and seminars. These activities draw upon the national and international science community engaged in hydrologic cycle and climate research. More information on USRA/Huntsville's post-doctoral research opportunities can be found here.
The SOFIA and RIACS programs also offer opportunities for visiting researchers and students to contribute to research and technology development projects being conducted at Ames Research Center. Request information on research opportunities at SOFIA here, or for RIACS here.
