Diploma in Attitude/Orbit Control and Estimation
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in attitude/orbit control and estimation. 8 modules covering attitude kinematics and dynamics, sensors, actuators, attitude determination and estimation, control laws, and integrated orbit control and AOCS, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Attitude/Orbit Control and Estimation — studying from Canada
Canada has a substantial aerospace sector, anchored in Montréal and Québec City, with major manufacturers and suppliers such as Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney Canada and CAE. Ontario's Greater Toronto and Ottawa regions host avionics, satellite and space technology firms, while the Canadian Space Agency coordinates national space programmes, including robotics for the International Space Station. Urban air mobility and drone operations are emerging under Transport Canada's regulatory framework. Engineers in this area typically work on airframe design, systems integration, certification and space mission support.
Fees for Canada: C$2,790 (Canadian dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Canada
Typical roles
Questions from Canada
Does a SEIUM qualification give me recognition with Canadian professional bodies for aerospace work?
Not automatically. In Canada, engineering is regulated by provincial and territorial associations such as Professional Engineers Ontario, which licence Professional Engineers (P.Eng.). SEIUM qualifications are private and are not official state degrees, so they do not confer P.Eng. status or accreditation. Recognition by employers or other bodies is decided case by case, so check directly with them before enrolling.
Will Canadian aerospace, drone or space employers value this training?
Employer valuation depends on the specific employer and role. Canada has a sizeable aerospace sector, including companies in Quebec, Ontario and Western Canada, and employers generally judge candidates on demonstrated skills, projects and experience. SEIUM's final project can serve as evidence of capability, but whether a private qualification carries weight is for each employer to decide. Discuss your goals with prospective employers.
Can I study this alongside a full-time job in Canada, and what about language?
Yes, the programmes are 100% online, so you can study from home at your own pace around work. Master's programmes are 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours, so plan your weekly time accordingly. Teaching is in English, and each student has an assigned technical tutor. Employer sponsorship and fees payable in instalments may help, depending on your circumstances.
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
Represent attitude using quaternions and rotation matrices.
Model attitude dynamics and their disturbances.
Select attitude sensors according to mission requirements.
Size attitude control actuators.
Implement attitude determination and estimation algorithms.
Design control laws for the satellite modes.
Integrate attitude and orbit control into an AOCS subsystem.
Who it's for
- AOCS engineers.
- GNC engineers.
- Flight dynamics engineers.
- Sensor and actuator engineers.
- Control software engineers.
- Pointing performance analysts.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter the space sector.
What you'll work with
- ECSS-E-ST-60-30C (satellite attitude and orbit control system requirements)
- ECSS-E-ST-60-10C (control performance)
- ECSS-E-ST-60-20C (star sensor terminology and performance specification)
- CCSDS 504.0-B (Attitude Data Messages)
- ECSS-E-ST-10-03C (testing)
- ECSS-E-ST-60-21C (gyro terminology and performance specification)
- MATLAB/Simulink
- Basilisk
- 42 (NASA GSFC)
- STK
- Python
8 modules
1.1Direction cosine matrices1.2Euler angles and singularities1.3Quaternions1.4Modified Rodrigues parameters1.5Kinematic equations1.6Inertial and orbital reference frames1.7Composition of rotations1.8Attitude errors1.9Representation in flight software1.10Practical exercise: attitude propagation with quaternions
2.1Euler's equations2.2Inertia tensor2.3Spin stability2.4Gravity-gradient stabilisation2.5Disturbance torques2.6Aerodynamic and radiation torques2.7Residual magnetic dipole2.8Flexibility and sloshing2.9Momentum-biased satellites2.10Lab: simulation of disturbance torques
3.1Sun sensors3.2Earth horizon sensors3.3Star trackers3.4Magnetometers3.5MEMS and fibre-optic gyroscopes3.6GNSS receivers for attitude3.7Sensor error models3.8In-orbit calibration3.9Sensor selection3.10Workshop: sensor architecture of a microsatellite
4.1Reaction wheels4.2Momentum wheels4.3Control moment gyroscopes4.4Magnetorquers4.5Attitude thrusters4.6Saturation and momentum dumping4.7Microvibrations4.8Redundant configurations4.9Actuator sizing4.10Practical exercise: wheel sizing for an observation satellite
5.1TRIAD method5.2Wahba's problem and QUEST5.3Extended Kalman filter5.4Multiplicative EKF (MEKF)5.5Unscented Kalman filter (UKF)5.6Gyroscope bias estimation5.7Observability5.8Filter tuning and validation5.9Onboard implementation5.10Lab: MEKF with star tracker and gyroscope
6.1AOCS modes6.2Detumbling with the B-dot law6.3Quaternion PD control6.4Inertial and nadir pointing6.5Target tracking6.6PWPF thruster control6.7Angular momentum management6.8Pointing performance requirements6.9Robustness and margins6.10Practical exercise: design of a pointing controller
7.1Onboard orbital navigation7.2Autonomous orbit control7.3Manoeuvres with coupled attitude7.4Safe mode7.5Mode transition logic7.6AOCS software7.7Verification by simulation7.8Bench testing7.9AOCS operations7.10Case study: modes of an observation satellite
8.1Mission and pointing requirements8.2AOCS architecture8.3Sensor and actuator selection8.4Estimator design8.5Control law design8.6End-to-end simulation8.7Performance analysis8.8Conclusions8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
Training is 100% online 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 it fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is MATLAB/Simulink, Basilisk, 42 (NASA GSFC), STK and Python, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures for simulating attitude control modes, attitude estimation with Kalman filters and sizing attitude actuators. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: ECSS-E-ST-60-30C, ECSS-E-ST-60-10C, ECSS-E-ST-60-20C, CCSDS 504.0-B, ECSS-E-ST-10-03C, ECSS-E-ST-60-21C.
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
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree 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 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with MATLAB/Simulink, Basilisk, 42 (NASA GSFC), STK and Python, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, 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.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the 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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