CALL FOR POSTDOC POSITIONS AT THE UNIVERSIDAD TÉCNICA FEDERICO SANTA MARÍA (USM)

NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF AIR-BREATHING PROPULSION SYSTEMS FOR VERY LOW
EARTH ORBIT APPLICATIONS

In the last year, there has been a significant increase in the satellite to Low 
Earth Orbit (LEO) launches. Nowadays, this orbit, ranging from 160 up to 2000 
km, represents the most satellite populated region around the Earth. Considering 
that the number of satellites in space orbit is becoming increasingly saturated, 
Very Low Earth Orbit (lower than 400 km) has become a new choice to expand the 
satellite operation range and improve the mission capability. A few vehicles can 
operate for long periods of time at altitudes ranging from high reconnaissance 
aircraft at 26 km (e.g. the SR71 Blackbird) to the lowest space platforms at 
around 400 km altitude. Low orbits have been avoided due to significant 
atmospheric drag which induce spacecraft’s orbit decay in less than 5 years. In 
order to maintain a satellite at VLEO, it is required the use of a continuous 
low thrust drag compensation mechanism. Atmosphere-breathing electric propulsion 
(ABEP) is a type of electric propulsion system that uses the atmosphere as a 
propellant source instead of a stored reservoir. This technology is still in its 
early stages, but holds the promise of providing a clean, efficient, and 
sustainable propulsion system for spacecraft, enabling very low Earth orbit 
(VLEO) mission scenarios. To optimize the ABEP technology, accurately simulating 
air-based plasma chemistry plays a crucial role. In this scenario, the main 
objective of this project is to implement, verify, validate plasma reactions 
into the dsmcFoamPlus code for atmosphere-breathing electric propulsion systems 
applications.

Institution: Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María
Location: Santiago, Chile
Number of positions: 2
Salary: US$ 27,000.00 per year
Additional: US$ 5,000.00 per year (equipments, conferences, and publications)
The position is available for a period of three years

REQUIREMENTS:
- PhD in fluid dynamics, physics, or applied mathematics with a strong 
computational background.
- The candidate must have an excellent academic record at all levels of 
education.
- Experience in the development of OpenFOAM codes and running them on HPC 
(Mandatory!).
- Understanding of plasma reactions.
- Strong publication record at Q1 ans Q2 Journals (Mandatory!).
- The candidate must have excellent written and verbal communication skills, 
demonstrated through
publications in reputed journals. English (minimum B2-Level) and interest in 
learning Spanish for daily life
activities.

APPLICATIONS:
Applications should include a cover letter, a brief statement of research 
interests and achievements (max.
2 pages), curriculum vitae including the publication list, and the names and 
contact details of two
potential referees. The reference persons will only be contacted for the 
shortlisted candidates.

All applications should be sent to Professor Rodrigo Cassineli Palharini, 
rodrigo.cassineli@usm.cl