LEO, MEO and GEO orbits course
Online course of 300 hours in LEO, MEO and GEO orbits, structured in 6 modules covering Earth orbital regimes, low, medium and geostationary orbits, and orbit selection and comparison, with an assigned technical tutor.
LEO, MEO and GEO orbits course — studying from South Africa
South Africa has a long-standing aerospace base, anchored by the Western Cape cluster around Cape Town and the Gauteng aerospace corridor near Johannesburg. Companies such as Denel Aerospace Systems, Aerosud and Airbus-linked suppliers in the Western Cape draw on local engineering talent. The South African Civil Aviation Authority oversees airworthiness and drone regulation, while the South African National Space Agency coordinates national space activity. Demand for skills in aircraft systems, unmanned aerial systems and satellite engineering continues to grow across both regions.
Fees for South Africa: R 10 200 (South African rand), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in South Africa
Typical roles
Questions from South Africa
Will a SEIUM qualification be recognised by the South African Council for Aeronautical and Engineering Professions or ECSA?
SEIUM is a private online institute and its qualifications are not official state degrees or accredited by a national body. In South Africa, professional registration is handled by bodies such as ECSA (Engineering Council of South Africa) and SACAP for built environment roles, and aviation licensing by the SACAA. Recognition of a private qualification is decided by the employer or the relevant body, so check directly with them before enrolling.
Would this qualification help me get work with aerospace or drone employers in South Africa?
Employers in South Africa's aerospace and drone sector, such as aircraft maintenance organisations, defence contractors and drone operators, usually weigh experience, licensing and university credentials heavily. A private online qualification can support your CV and show specialist knowledge, but it does not guarantee hiring or a particular role. Ask prospective employers whether they value the programme before you commit.
Can I manage the workload while working full time, and do I need to be fluent in English?
The programme is 100% online and taught in English, so you need solid working English. Study is fully remote, so no student visa is needed to study from home. Master's programmes total 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours, with an assigned technical tutor. Plan your weekly hours realistically, and ask whether employer sponsorship or instalment payment could help with fees.
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
Distinguish the characteristics of the LEO, MEO and GEO regimes.
Design sun-synchronous and repeat ground track orbits.
Analyse the geometry and coverage of MEO constellations.
Calculate station-keeping needs in GEO.
Assess the radiation environment and collision risk for each regime.
Apply end-of-life disposal criteria.
Select and justify the orbit for a mission.
Who it's for
- Mission analysts choosing orbits for new satellite services.
- Flight dynamics engineers handling station-keeping and manoeuvres.
- Satellite systems engineers defining mission architecture.
- Constellation engineers designing LEO and MEO networks.
- Space regulation consultants working on spectrum and debris rules.
- Operations engineers at satellite operators.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to join a satellite operator.
What you'll work with
- ITU Radio Regulations (international spectrum and orbit allocation)
- ISO 24113 (space debris mitigation requirements)
- ISO 26872 (disposal of satellites operating at geosynchronous altitude)
- ISO 16164 (disposal of satellites operating in or crossing LEO)
- IADC Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines (inter-agency debris mitigation guidelines)
- ECSS-E-ST-10-04C (space environment)
- FCC 22-74 (five-year rule) (post-mission disposal of LEO satellites)
- Ansys STK
- GMAT
- Orekit
- SaVi
- Python with poliastro
6 modules
1.1Classification by altitude and period1.2LEO, MEO, GEO and HEO orbits1.3Radiation environment by regime1.4Atmospheric density and orbital lifetime1.5Coverage and revisit time1.6Latency and link budget1.7Launch cost by regime1.8Molniya and Tundra orbits1.9Launch windows by regime1.10Workshop: comparison of regimes for a communications mission
2.1Sun-synchronous orbits2.2Repeat ground track orbits2.3Frozen orbits2.4Decay due to atmospheric drag2.5Earth observation constellations2.6Broadband megaconstellations2.7Very low Earth orbit (VLEO)2.8End-of-life disposal in LEO2.9Very low orbit satellites with propulsion2.10Practical: design of a repeating sun-synchronous orbit
3.1GNSS constellations: GPS, Galileo and GLONASS3.2Walker patterns3.3Geometry and dilution of precision3.4Van Allen belts in MEO3.5Low-latency MEO communications3.6Long-term stability of MEO orbits3.7Graveyard orbits in MEO3.8Selection of altitude and inclination3.9Altitude selection to minimise radiation3.10Lab: coverage analysis of a Walker constellation
4.1Conditions for geostationarity4.2Station-keeping boxes and orbital longitude4.3Lunisolar perturbations and inclination4.4Earth triaxiality and longitude drift4.5North-south and east-west station-keeping4.6Coordination of orbital positions4.7Eclipses and equinox seasons4.8GEO graveyard orbit4.9Highly inclined geosynchronous satellites4.10Case study: GEO station-keeping Δv budget
5.1Mission and payload criteria5.2Link budget by regime5.3Coverage and revisit analysis5.4Radiation exposure and shielding5.5Injection and propulsion cost5.6Collision risk by regime5.7Multi-layer LEO-MEO-GEO architectures5.8Spectrum and orbit regulation5.9Cost-per-service comparison5.10Case study: orbit selection for an IoT service
6.1Mission requirements6.2Candidate orbital alternatives6.3Coverage analysis6.4Δv budget6.5Lifetime and disposal6.6Radiation environment6.7Decision matrix6.8Final recommendation6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training 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 is compatible with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Ansys STK, GMAT, Orekit, SaVi and Python with poliastro, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: design of a repeating sun-synchronous orbit, coverage analysis of a MEO constellation, and calculation of the station-keeping budget in GEO. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: ITU Radio Regulations, ISO 24113, ISO 26872, ISO 16164, IADC Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines, ECSS-E-ST-10-04C, FCC 22-74 (five-year rule).
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 Ansys STK, GMAT, Orekit, SaVi and Python with poliastro, 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 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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