Diploma in Guidance and Control for Couplings
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in guidance and control for docking: 8 modules covering docking dynamics, final-approach navigation, approach guidance, translation and attitude control, docking mechanisms, fault management and GNC verification, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Guidance and Control for Couplings — studying from Malta
Malta's aerospace activity is concentrated around Malta International Airport at Luqa, where aircraft maintenance, cabin interiors and aviation services form a significant part of the local economy. The island's aviation sector is supported by a long-established regulatory framework and a growing interest in drone operations and advanced air mobility. Engineers here commonly find work with aircraft maintenance organisations, aviation services providers and companies engaged in unmanned systems testing. Expertise in airworthiness, systems integration and regulatory compliance is particularly valued by employers operating within this niche but internationally connected market.
Fees for Malta: €1,290 (Euro), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Malta
Typical roles
Questions from Malta
Which professional bodies in Malta recognise engineers working in aerospace, UAM, drones and space, and how does that affect my title?
Malta's Chamber of Engineers (KSU) regulates the use of the title 'engineer' under the Engineering Profession Act. Aviation safety is overseen by the Malta Competition and Consumers Affairs Authority's aviation counterpart, Transport Malta's Civil Aviation Directorate, which licenses operators and certain technical staff. A private SEIUM qualification does not itself grant a regulated title; recognition depends on the employer or the relevant body.
Which employers in Malta might hire someone with an aerospace or drone engineering background?
Malta has an aviation sector centred on Malta International Airport, aircraft maintenance and MRO activity, and a growing drone and space-related presence at the University of Malta and in private firms. Employers vary in their hiring criteria. A private qualification can support a application, but employers will weigh it against experience and any formal credentials they require.
Can I realistically study this 1,900-hour programme while working full time in Malta, and do I need a visa?
Programmes are fully online and taught in English, so you can study from home in Malta or elsewhere without a student visa. Each student gets an assigned technical tutor. Workload should be planned around your job; 1,900 hours is substantial, so most working professionals spread it over a long period. Ask about employer sponsorship and instalment fee options before enrolling.
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
Model the six-degree-of-freedom dynamics of approaching vehicles.
Design relative navigation estimators for docking.
Apply guidance laws with operational constraints.
Implement robust translation and attitude controllers.
Analyse docking mechanisms and interfaces.
Define fault management and autonomy strategies.
Verify the GNC system through simulation and test benches.
Who it's for
- GNC engineers
- Attitude control engineers
- Flight software engineers
- Vision-based navigation engineers
- Space mechanisms engineers
- Systems verification engineers
- Engineering or science graduates looking to join space agencies
What you'll work with
- ECSS-E-ST-60-10C (control performance)
- ECSS-E-ST-60-30C (satellite attitude and orbit control system requirements)
- ECSS-E-ST-40C (space software engineering)
- ECSS-Q-ST-80C (software product assurance)
- International Docking System Standard (IDSS) (common docking interface)
- ECSS-E-ST-33-01C (space mechanisms)
- ISO 14620-1 (space systems safety requirements)
- MATLAB/Simulink
- Basilisk
- CVXPY
- Python (NumPy/SciPy)
- PANGU
8 modules
1.1Coupled translational and rotational dynamics1.2Attitude representation with quaternions1.3Six-degree-of-freedom models1.4Perturbations in low Earth orbit1.5Contact dynamics and capture mechanisms1.6Effect of propellant sloshing1.7Structural flexibility of appendages1.8Modelling actuators and delays1.9Linearisation around the trajectory1.10Workshop: 6DOF model of an approach vehicle
2.1Relative pose estimation2.2Lidar and camera fusion2.3Extended and unscented Kalman filters2.4Observability in relative navigation2.5Feature matching algorithms2.6Proximity sensors for contact2.7Navigation integrity and fault detection2.8Navigation with visual markers2.9Accuracy required for docking2.10Practical exercise: pose estimator with synthetic data
3.1Trajectory guidance along V-bar and R-bar3.2Artificial potential function guidance3.3Approach cone guidance3.4Constrained optimal guidance3.5Convex programming for guidance3.6Synchronisation guidance with rotating targets3.7Field-of-view constraints3.8Real-time trajectory generation3.9Comparison of guidance laws3.10Laboratory: convex guidance with cone constraints
4.1PID and LQR controllers4.2Sliding mode control4.3Model predictive control (MPC)4.4Thruster allocation and PWPF modulation4.5Coupled six-degree-of-freedom control4.6Disturbance rejection4.7Robustness to mass uncertainties4.8Control during contact and capture4.9Post-docking stabilisation4.10Practical exercise: MPC controller for final approach
5.1IDSS docking standard5.2Androgynous and probe systems5.3Berthing with a robotic arm5.4Energy absorption at contact5.5Alignment and capture tolerances5.6Latches and structural sealing5.7Electrical and fluid interfaces5.8Mechanisms for small satellites5.9Testing of docking mechanisms5.10Case study: comparison of docking systems
6.1GNC FDIR architecture6.2Monitoring of corridors and limits6.3Abort and retreat manoeuvres6.4Degraded navigation modes6.5On-board autonomy versus ground control6.6Go/no-go decision logic6.7Verification of critical flight software6.8Independent safety software6.9Lessons from historical failures6.10Case study: analysis of a failed docking
7.1Software-in-the-loop simulation7.2Processor-in-the-loop7.3Benches with real sensors7.4Robotic contact simulators7.5Monte Carlo dispersion analysis7.6GNC performance metrics7.7Validation of contact models7.8System acceptance tests7.9Requirements management and traceability7.10Laboratory: image-based navigation test bench
8.1Docking mission requirements8.2GNC system architecture8.3Navigation estimator design8.4Final-approach guidance law8.5Six-degree-of-freedom controller8.6Fault management strategy8.7Monte Carlo simulation results8.8Conclusions and future work8.9Report and presentation8.10Final 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 it fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. You work with MATLAB/Simulink, Basilisk, CVXPY, Python (NumPy/SciPy) and PANGU in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: simulating the final approach with cone constraints, validating pose estimators on a robotic bench and Monte Carlo dispersion analysis of docking. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: ECSS-E-ST-60-10C, ECSS-E-ST-60-30C, ECSS-E-ST-40C, ECSS-Q-ST-80C, International Docking System Standard (IDSS), ECSS-E-ST-33-01C, ISO 14620-1.
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.
- An 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, CVXPY, Python (NumPy/SciPy) and PANGU, 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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