Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Mission Systems Engineer

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Mission Systems Engineer This position is sponsored by the NASA Landolt mission. The Postdoctoral Research Mission Systems Engineer (MSE) duties include (at a different level of involvement and responsibility):Contribute to all aspects of mission design, development, and testing by coordinating among subsystem element teams, including payload, software, and hardware teams. Coordinate procedural and regulatory compliance aspects of mission alongside technical aspects. Conceive, conduct, and communicate about necessary trade studies among or within subsystem elements and payload. Organize, oversee, and participate in assembly, integration, and testing of individual components, modules, and satellite bus. As necessary, coordinates and participates in integration of assembled satellite bus with launch vehicle and pad facilities. Identify, support/coordinate, and/or operate relevant simulations and analysis tools to predict, track, and redirect key mission performance parameters, including, but not necessarily limited to, subsystem or overall mass, volume, and power budgets; scientific performance; and risk throughout the system lifecycle. Communicate decision points, outcomes, and summaries upward to all other members of the Landolt Mission team. Document activities for the Landolt Mission through mission reviews, mission reports, mission documentation, technical publications in a manner consistent with space-based projects and published results in professional scientific journals. Work collaboratively and effectively in a team environment composed of scientists, engineers, students, project management and support staff at multiple institutions, federal, academic, and commercial partners.

Conduct and/or oversee trade studies and subsystem analyses; Guide development of Interface Control Documents (ICDs) for all subsystems, including hardware, software, payload, and bus subsystems; Guide, oversee, and participate in all assembly, integration, and test (AI&T) tasks leading to successful integration of payload, bus, software, and complete space vehicle; Identify and comply with all applicable NASA space systems requirements and procedures; and Carry out or oversee system modeling and characterizations of system components and subsystems. Research Support: Conduct mission-relevant research and technical investigations under the guidance of the faculty mentor and Landolt Mission leadership to advance mission science, systems engineering, instrument development, and/or spaceflight technology objectives; Develop, execute, analyze, and document research studies, simulations, models, trade studies, and technical analyses that support Landolt Mission design decisions, performance assessment, risk reduction, and technology maturation; and Review and synthesize relevant scientific, engineering, NASA, and spaceflight literature, standards, and technical documentation to inform mission planning, system development, and research priorities. Reporting: Co-lead the writing and production of formal technical reports, progress reports, and reviews for NASA (e.g., PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR, ORR) in a manner consistent with NASA's documentation requirements, standards, and guidelines (e.g., NPR 7120.5/8); Write or co-write papers for professional journals and conferences; Attend meetings with sponsors and collaborators, federal, commercial, and academic partners when necessary, occasionally requiring travel outside of the DC metropolitan area; and Assist in the pursuit of new and continued George Mason University Space Center projects and funding support (e.g., new, extended, and follow-on missions/projects).