Origin and evolution of lunar volatiles

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects. This specific opportunity focuses on studies of astromaterials to understand the origin and evolution of lunar volatiles, which is fundamental to understanding the history of life on Earth and critical for in situ resource utilization. Research projects can include mineralogic and petrologic studies, geochemistry, experimental analogs, or modeling using techniques such as electron microscopy, X-ray computed tomography, infrared spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Projects may also align with sample return missions like Artemis, Mars Sample Return, or future comet/asteroid/moon sample return concepts. The interdisciplinary nature provides opportunities for candidates with diverse scientific backgrounds to address questions of formation, accretion and transport of primitive materials, or of volatiles in early lunar/planetary igneous processes.