Ionic Booster Course
Online course of 300 hours in ion thrusters: 6 modules covering ion thruster physics, ion optics and grids, cathodes and neutralisation, DC, RF and microwave discharge variants, testing and qualification, and an ion thruster project, with an assigned technical tutor.
Ionic Booster Course — studying from Australia
Australia's aerospace sector spans defence and commercial aviation, maintenance, repair and overhaul, and a growing space industry. Key clusters sit around Adelaide's Edinburgh Parks and the Melbourne and Sydney defence precincts, with major employers including Airbus Australia Pacific, BAE Systems Australia, Boeing Defence Australia and Lockheed Martin Australia. Recreational and commercial drone operations are increasingly regulated, and advanced air mobility is emerging as a research and policy priority. Engineers working in this area typically support airworthiness, systems integration, structures and avionics across both crewed and uncrewed platforms.
Fees for Australia: A$1,270 (AUD), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Australia
Typical roles
Questions from Australia
Does a SEIUM qualification help me get recognised by a professional body in Australia?
SEIUM qualifications are private qualifications, not official state degrees, and they are not accredited by any Australian body. Engineers Australia accredits university engineering degrees, and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulates drone and aviation operations. Recognition of a private qualification is decided by the employer or the relevant body, so check with them before enrolling.
Will this course help me find work in Australian aerospace, drones or space?
Australia has aerospace and defence employers, drone operators and space-sector companies, and skills in these areas are valued. Whether a SEIUM qualification counts for a given role depends on the employer, who will usually weigh your experience and portfolio alongside any private credential. Ask prospective employers how they view it.
Can I study this part-time while working, and does the time zone suit Australia?
The programmes are fully online and taught in English, so you can study from anywhere in Australia, with no student visa needed for home study. Master's programmes total 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours, so plan your weekly load realistically. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Understand the physical principles of ion extraction and acceleration.
Design grid systems taking perveance and erosion into account.
Select neutraliser cathodes according to life requirements.
Compare DC, RF and microwave discharge ion thrusters.
Interpret test results from vacuum chambers.
Estimate the service life of an ion thruster.
Propose an ion thruster suited to a specific mission.
Who it's for
- Electric propulsion engineers.
- Applied plasma physics engineers.
- Vacuum test engineers.
- Satellite systems engineers.
- Mission analysts working with low-thrust trajectories.
- Space propulsion researchers.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to join the space industry.
What you'll work with
- ECSS-E-ST-35-01C (liquid and electric propulsion for spacecraft)
- ECSS-E-ST-35C (space engineering – propulsion general requirements)
- ECSS-E-ST-20-06C (spacecraft charging)
- ECSS-E-ST-10-03C (space engineering – testing)
- ECSS-E-ST-35-06C (cleanliness requirements for spacecraft propulsion hardware)
- ECSS-Q-ST-30C (dependability)
- COMSOL Multiphysics
- SPIS (Spacecraft Plasma Interaction System)
- MATLAB
- Python with SciPy
- Ansys Mechanical
6 modules
1.1Ionisation by electron bombardment and radiofrequency1.2Discharge chamber plasma and ion density1.3Child–Langmuir law and maximum extractable current1.4Thrust, specific impulse and efficiency1.5Power-to-thrust ratio1.6Gridded thrusters versus other concepts1.7Xenon, krypton and alternative propellants1.8History of NSTAR, NEXT and RIT1.9Ionisation energy losses1.10Workshop: calculating the thrust and specific impulse of a gridded thruster
2.1Two- and three-grid systems2.2Perveance and beam divergence2.3Grid erosion by charge exchange2.4Grid materials: molybdenum and carbon–carbon2.5Electron backstreaming and its prevention2.6Shorts and clearing by discharge2.7Aperture design and spacing2.8Modelling with ion trajectory codes2.9Modelling electron deceleration2.10Lab: estimating grid life from erosion
3.1Hollow cathodes with BaO-W and LaB6 inserts3.2Keeper, heater and operating modes3.3Neutralisation of the ion beam3.4Cathode erosion and plume mode3.5Insert contamination and poisoning3.6Cathodes for RF thrusters3.7Cathode life tests3.8Interaction of the beam with the spacecraft3.9Cathode ignition and cycling tests3.10Practical exercise: sizing a neutraliser cathode
4.1Kaufman DC discharge thrusters4.2RIT radiofrequency thrusters4.3μ10-type ECR microwave thrusters4.4Miniaturisation for small satellites4.5Iodine ion thrusters4.6Propellant flow control4.7Throttling and variable-power operation4.8Performance comparison by family4.9Thermal control of the thruster4.10Case study: analysis of the Hayabusa mission
5.1Vacuum chambers and cryogenic pumping5.2Effects of background pressure on testing5.3Diagnostics with Faraday probes and RPAs5.4Thrust measurement with thrust balances5.5Life and qualification tests5.6Plume contamination analysis5.7Interaction with solar arrays5.8Lessons from Deep Space 1, Dawn and BepiColombo5.9Measurement of doubly charged ions5.10Case study: interpreting data from a life test
6.1Mission requirements and Δv6.2Propellant and power selection6.3Discharge chamber sizing6.4Grid optics design6.5Neutraliser cathode selection6.6Life and erosion estimation6.7Qualification test plan6.8Integration on the platform6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
A 100% online programme on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so you can combine it with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is COMSOL Multiphysics, SPIS (Spacecraft Plasma Interaction System), MATLAB, Python with SciPy and Ansys Mechanical, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for sizing two-grid optics for xenon, life analysis of a hollow cathode and studying plume contamination on solar arrays. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: ECSS-E-ST-35-01C, ECSS-E-ST-35C, ECSS-E-ST-20-06C, ECSS-E-ST-10-03C, ECSS-E-ST-35-06C, ECSS-Q-ST-30C
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with COMSOL Multiphysics, SPIS (Spacecraft Plasma Interaction System), MATLAB, Python with SciPy, Ansys Mechanical, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required: you need an internet connection, a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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