Diploma in Replenishment, Repair and Capture
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in refuelling, repair and capture: 8 modules covering servicing missions, propellant transfer, target capture, robotic repair, safety, regulation and verification, with an assigned technical tutor.
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
Analyse historical and current on-orbit servicing missions.
Understand propellant transfer in microgravity.
Evaluate target capture strategies.
Plan robotic repair and replacement sequences.
Apply risk analysis techniques to servicing operations.
Interpret the legal and ethical framework of on-orbit servicing.
Design the concept of a refuelling or repair mission.
Who it's for
- On-orbit servicing engineers building expertise in refuelling, repair and capture.
- Space robotics engineers moving into servicing and capture operations.
- Propulsion engineers working on propellant transfer systems.
- Mission safety engineers responsible for proximity and capture operations.
- Operations engineers planning servicing missions from the ground.
- Space regulation analysts dealing with licensing and liability.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter the on-orbit servicing sector.
What you'll work with
- CONFERS Recommended Design and Operational Practices (industry best practices for rendezvous and servicing)
- ISO 24113:2023 (space debris mitigation requirements)
- ECSS-E-ST-35C (propulsion)
- ECSS-E-ST-33-01C (mechanisms)
- Outer Space Treaty, 1967 (core principles of space law)
- Convention on International Liability, 1972 (liability for damage caused by space objects)
- COPUOS Long-Term Sustainability Guidelines, 2019 (sustainability of outer space activities)
- MSC Adams
- MATLAB/Simulink
- ROS 2
- Flow-3D
- Basilisk
8 modules
1.1History of servicing: the Hubble missions1.2RRM and OSAM-1 demonstrators1.3Life extension versus refuelling1.4Servicing-ready satellites1.5Propellant depot logistics1.6Economics of orbital refuelling1.7Multi-target mission architectures1.8Servicing vehicle capabilities1.9Challenges of legacy satellites1.10Workshop: cost-benefit analysis of a refuelling mission
2.1Storable propellants and hydrazine2.2High-pressure xenon transfer2.3Fluid management in microgravity2.4Propellant management devices in tanks2.5Fluid valves and couplings2.6Leak detection and tightness2.7Propellant mass gauging2.8Contamination and material compatibility2.9Cryogenic fluids in orbit2.10Practical: mass balance in a xenon transfer
3.1Rigid versus flexible capture3.2Robotic arm capture3.3Nozzle-grasping mechanisms3.4Nets and harpoons: state of the art3.5Capture of tumbling targets3.6Contact and contactless detumbling3.7Impact dynamics during capture3.8Stabilisation of the captured stack3.9Magnetic and adhesive capture3.10Lab: dynamic simulation of an arm-based capture
4.1Access to non-prepared components4.2Cutting thermal blankets and tapes4.3Opening fill-and-drain valves4.4Replacement of orbital replacement units4.5Specialised robotic tools4.6Pre-inspection and diagnosis4.7Installation of life-extension modules4.8Deployment of stuck appendages4.9Task sequences and verification4.10Case study: repair sequence for a stuck panel
5.1Contamination and leak risks5.2Collision risks during capture5.3FMEA of the operation5.4Mission safety requirements5.5Accidental fragmentation and its prevention5.6Keep-out zones and aborts5.7Liability of the servicing operator5.8Insurance and servicing contracts5.9Coordination with the client operator5.10Case study: risk analysis of a refuelling operation
6.1Outer Space Treaty6.2Liability Convention6.3Registration of space objects6.4National operating licences6.5Dual use of capture technologies6.6Transparency and international confidence6.7CONFERS best practices6.8COPUOS sustainability guidelines6.9Applicable export controls6.10Case study: licensing framework for a servicing mission
7.1Ground testing of fluid transfer7.2Capture simulation with industrial robots7.3Thermal vacuum testing of tools7.4Step-by-step operations from the ground7.5Real-time telemetry and video7.6Contingency planning7.7Operator training7.8Flight readiness reviews7.9Lessons from servicing missions7.10Lab: tightness test of a coupling
8.1Selection of the client satellite8.2Mission requirements and objectives8.3Capture strategy8.4Refuelling or repair plan8.5Design of tools and interfaces8.6Safety analysis8.7Mission operational sequence8.8Verification plan and cost8.9Report 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 the intake, so it fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is MSC Adams, MATLAB/Simulink, ROS 2, Flow-3D and Basilisk, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: dynamic simulation of robotic-arm captures, tightness tests of fluid couplings and risk analysis of refuelling operations. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: CONFERS Recommended Design and Operational Practices, ISO 24113:2023, ECSS-E-ST-35C, ECSS-E-ST-33-01C, Outer Space Treaty (1967), Convention on International Liability (1972), COPUOS Long-Term Sustainability Guidelines (2019).
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 able to run the programme's 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 MSC Adams, MATLAB/Simulink, ROS 2, Flow-3D and Basilisk, 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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