Diploma in Satellite Launch Insurance
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in satellite launch insurance. 8 modules covering space insurance fundamentals, space law and licensing, launch reliability and pricing, underwriting and policy wordings, space systems engineering, failure investigation and claims, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Satellite Launch Insurance — studying from New Zealand
New Zealand's insurance and financial services sector is concentrated in Auckland and Wellington, with a strong focus on general insurance, life insurance and risk management. Natural hazard risk, particularly from earthquakes, is a major consideration, and the Earthquake Commission provides residential natural disaster cover. Actuarial and risk data professionals work for insurers, reinsurers, regulators and consultancies, with oversight from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the Financial Markets Authority.
Fees for New Zealand: NZ$3,550 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in New Zealand
Typical roles
Questions from New Zealand
Which New Zealand bodies recognise actuarial and risk qualifications?
The Actuarial Society of New Zealand and the New Zealand Institute of Actuaries work alongside international bodies such as the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. Membership and professional credentials in these fields are set by those bodies, not by private providers. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by any national body, so their standing depends on how your employer or the relevant body assesses them.
Do insurers and financial firms in New Zealand hire people with data and risk skills?
New Zealand's insurance, banking and government sectors do employ people in risk, pricing and data analysis, and the Reserve Bank and insurers both draw on these skills. Hiring usually depends on demonstrated technical ability and professional credentials. A SEIUM qualification can support your application, but whether it is valued is up to each employer.
How is the programme delivered and paid for?
The programme is 100% online and taught in English, so no student visa is needed to study from New Zealand. You are assigned a technical tutor and complete a final project. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible. Time commitment varies by programme, from 300 hours for specialist courses to 1,900 hours for master's programmes.
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
Master the technical fundamentals of Satellite Launch Insurance and its regulatory vocabulary.
Apply Solvency II (Directive 2009/138/EC), IFRS 17 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/35 to real underwriting, pricing and reserving decisions.
Build and validate launch and in-orbit reliability models with R and Python (pandas, SciPy).
Assess launch and satellite risks using failure databases, test data and technical due diligence.
Analyse telemetry and anomaly reports and translate them into underwriting and claims decisions.
Prepare the technical and compliance dossier required by the client or the regulator.
Lead the technical side of a satellite launch insurance placement from start to finish.
Who it's for
- Space and aviation underwriters looking to specialise in Satellite Launch Insurance.
- Insurance and reinsurance brokers placing space risks.
- Non-life actuaries pricing launch and in-orbit cover.
- Claims and loss adjusters handling space claims.
- Risk and insurance managers at satellite operators and launch providers.
- Space engineers moving into technical advisory roles for insurers.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to move into specialty insurance.
What you'll work with
- Outer Space Treaty (1967)
- Liability Convention (1972)
- French Space Operations Act (LOS, 2008)
- UK Space Industry Act 2018
- FAA 14 CFR Part 450 (launch and re-entry licensing)
- ECSS standards (space product assurance)
- ISO 24113:2023 (space debris mitigation)
- Solvency II (Directive 2009/138/EC)
- IFRS 17 (insurance contracts)
- ISO 31000 (risk management)
- R
- Python (pandas, SciPy)
- Ansys STK
- NASA GMAT
- Advanced Excel
8 modules
1.1Space insurance lines: pre-launch, launch and in-orbit cover1.2Market landscape: capacity, launch providers and satellite operators1.3Technical terminology and reference documentation1.4Orbital mechanics and launch phases for underwriters1.5Satellite architecture: bus, payload, power and propulsion1.6Launch vehicle reliability and flight heritage1.7Typical loss scenarios: launch failure, deployment and early-life anomalies1.8Common underwriting errors and how to detect them early1.9Launch and in-orbit failure databases and data quality criteria1.10Exercise: risk profile of a geostationary mission
2.1Outer Space Treaty and launching-state liability2.21972 Liability Convention and Registration Convention2.3National space laws and mandatory third-party liability insurance2.4Government indemnification regimes: France, UK and United States2.5Solvency II capital treatment of space risk accumulations2.6Lloyd's market rules and space syndicates2.7Export controls and sanctions: ITAR, EAR and EU dual-use rules2.8IFRS 17 measurement of space insurance contracts2.9Interpretation of critical policy clauses and case law2.10Exercise: insurance requirements checklist for a launch licence
3.1Reliability-based rating of launch vehicles3.2Selection of tools and working environment3.3Preparing launch history and anomaly data3.4Bayesian estimation of launch success rates in R and Python3.5Satellite subsystem reliability and Weibull analysis3.6Modelling partial loss, constructive total loss and capacity loss3.7Exposure aggregation by launch and orbital position3.8Sensitivity analysis of pricing assumptions3.9Market cycle and rate adequacy analysis3.10Exercise: pricing a launch plus one-year in-orbit policy
4.1Underwriting submissions and technical due diligence4.2Policy wordings: attachment, intentional ignition and risk periods4.3Sum insured, total loss and partial loss definitions4.4Exclusions: war, cyber, nuclear and wilful acts4.5Launch services agreements and re-flight guarantees4.6Cross-waivers of liability and third-party liability cover4.7Capacity, lead and following markets4.8Reinsurance of space risks4.9Accumulation control for constellations4.10Exercise: underwriting proposal for a satellite launch
5.1Launch campaign: integration, testing and launch site operations5.2Spacecraft qualification testing: thermal vacuum, vibration and acoustics5.3ECSS standards for space product assurance5.4Ground segment, telemetry and in-orbit testing5.5Space environment: radiation, debris and space weather5.6Space debris mitigation: IADC guidelines and ISO 241135.7Licensing regimes: French Space Operations Act, UK Space Industry Act 2018 and FAA Part 4505.8International framework: Outer Space Treaty and 1972 Liability Convention5.9Linking engineering findings to underwriting decisions5.10Exercise: technical review of a satellite test campaign
6.1Hazard identification across the mission life cycle6.2Failure modes and effects analysis of satellite subsystems6.3Fault trees for launch failure scenarios6.4Failure review boards and return to flight6.5Redundancy and fault tolerance in satellite design6.6Human factors in launch operations6.7Insurers' technical advisers and risk evidence6.8Risk management under ISO 310006.9In-orbit health monitoring and early anomaly indicators6.10Exercise: risk analysis of a launch campaign
7.1Notification of launch and in-orbit anomalies7.2Coverage triggers and proof of loss7.3Failure investigation reports and evidence7.4Partial loss formulas: capacity and lifetime loss7.5Constructive total loss and salvage7.6Handling uncertainty in residual capacity estimates7.7Subrogation limits under cross-waivers7.8Reserving of large space claims7.9Settlement, dispute resolution and claims documentation7.10Exercise: loss adjustment of a solar array deployment failure
8.1Mission definition: satellite, launch vehicle and orbit8.2Technical due diligence and data gathering8.3Launch and in-orbit reliability model8.4Pricing and rate adequacy8.5Policy structure, wordings and exclusions8.6Licensing and third-party liability requirements8.7Placement and reinsurance strategy8.8Simulated anomaly and loss adjustment8.9Final report and technical defence8.10Final project: tutor review and close of the programme
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 the programme can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is R, Python (pandas, SciPy), Ansys STK, NASA GMAT and advanced Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: Bayesian launch reliability estimation from public launch records, orbit and mission analysis, structuring of launch and in-orbit policies, and partial loss adjustment after an in-orbit anomaly. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final integrative project.
Standards covered: Outer Space Treaty (1967), Liability Convention (1972), French Space Operations Act (LOS, 2008), UK Space Industry Act 2018, FAA 14 CFR Part 450, ECSS standards, ISO 24113:2023 (space debris mitigation), Solvency II (Directive 2009/138/EC), IFRS 17, ISO 31000.
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 R, Python (pandas, SciPy), Ansys STK, NASA GMAT and advanced Excel, 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, a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards. No university degree is required.
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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