AST Skill Sets
Aerospace Vehicle Systems
- Flight Dynamics (reentry dynamics; Monte Carlo simulation, six-degree of freedom modeling; stall, including takeoff and landing, for subsonic, supersonic and hypersonic speeds)
- Command and Control (open and closed loop tests; stability analysis and testing)
- Qualification/Acceptance Testing of Vehicle and Ground Systems
- Tracking (translators and transponders for GPS, radar and other systems)
- Link Analyses (antennas, receivers, transmitters, plume attenuation)
- Propulsion (jet, solid, liquid, electric, nuclear, scram jet)
- Communication (voice, telemetry, command and control)
- Frequency Standards/Requirements/ Monitoring
- Attitude Control (cold gas, bi- and mono- propellant)
- Sensors (star, engine, system, horizon, structure)
- Health Monitoring (sensors, processors)
- Computational Fluid Dynamics
- Automatic Fail-Over Systems
- Maintenance/Inspections
- Back-up Power Supplies
- Satellite Technology
- Flight Worthiness
- Navigation
- Thermal
- Loads
System Safety/Quality Assurance Engineering
- Hazardous Materials/Explosives (modeling; inspections; radio-nuclear; dispersion modeling; toxic/hazardous materials; quantity/distance standards; solid and liquid propellant safety; ordnance testing, storage, handling, installation and transportation)
- Aerospace Flight Safety (flight dynamics, trajectory dynamics, safety limits analyses, Monte Carlo simulation, hazards and risk analyses, range safety officer functions, range surveillance and notice requirements)
- Ground Processing Safety (security, inspections, hazardous processing standards/requirements, scheduling around hazardous processing conflicts)
- System Safety (statistics; hazard analysis; MEA, fault tree, sneak circuit and functional analysis)
- Human Factors (ergonomics, human error potentials, fatigue and rest standards)
- Reliability Analysis
- Quality Assurance
Structural/Mechanical Engineering
- Thermal Engineering (thermal loads from equipment, launch- and reentry-induced thermal loads, thermal protection systems and capabilities, active and passive thermal control and dissipation)
- Fracture Mechanics and Fatigue
- Electromechanical Devices
- Metals and Composites
- Form, Fit and Function
- NASTRAN Modeling
- Pressure Vessels
- Maintenance
- Inspections
- Hydraulics
Software Engineering
- Artificial Intelligence/Autonomous Systems Operation
- Design, Development, Documentation and Testing
- Independent Verification and Validation
- System Safety
- Simulation
Meteorology
- Space Weather Issues
- Wind Measurements
- Adverse Weather
- Forecasting
Space Transportation Analysis
- Launch Forecasting
- Economic Analysis
Environmental Assessment
If you are a U.S. citizen and have education, training or experience in one or more of the aforementioned areas, consider AST. AST offers:
- ongoing interaction with leading "space" organizations (i.e., Federal agencies, associations, private firms);
- a dual-purpose mission committed to both safety and entrepreneurial development of the industry;
- a start-up work environment that demands listening and adaptation to serve its customers;
- ground-floor participation in an emerging field with new technologies and new players;
- a work environment that requires technical breadth and depth from every employee;
- an overview of what is happening in every enterprise in the industry;
- opportunities for in-service training on the "state-of-the-art";
- a tangible sense of contribution to the agency's goals;
- a competitive compensation package; and
- pay for performance.
All positions are located in metropolitan Washington, D.C. - a national and international seat of power with key policymakers and decision-makers, a cultural center with state-of-the-art knowledge and nationally-ranked public school systems, colleges and universities, accessible public transportation, public parks and a strong sense of neighborhood.
Applications can be submitted to Christina Vernon, Office of Commercial Space Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, S.W. #331, Washington, DC 20591.