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Postgraduate DiplomaAerospace, UAM, Drones & Space Applications open

Diploma in High Mach Testing and Thermal Protection

Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in high-Mach testing and thermal protection. 8 modules covering high-speed test facilities, short-duration instrumentation, thermal protection materials, ablation, thermophysical characterisation, TPS design and qualification with ASTM E285, ASTM E457 and LabVIEW, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration6–8 months
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Understand high-speed test facilities and their limits.

02

Select suitable instrumentation for short-duration tests.

03

Characterise ablative and reusable materials.

04

Measure the thermophysical properties of thermal protection materials.

05

Size thermal protection systems for a mission profile.

06

Plan qualification campaigns for TPS materials.

07

Correlate test results with numerical models.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Aerothermal test engineers.
  • Thermal protection materials engineers.
  • Instrumentation engineers.
  • Spacecraft thermal engineers.
  • Researchers working in high-enthalpy facilities.
  • Test laboratory managers.
  • Engineering or science graduates looking to enter the space sector.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • ASTM E285 (oxyacetylene ablation testing of thermal insulation materials)
  • ASTM E457 (heat transfer rate measurement with a slug calorimeter)
  • ASTM E511 (heat flux measurement with a circular foil heat-flux transducer)
  • ECSS-E-ST-31C (space thermal control)
  • ASTM E1461 (thermal diffusivity by the flash method)
  • ECSS-Q-ST-70-04C (thermal testing for evaluating space materials)
  • LabVIEW
  • COMSOL Multiphysics
  • ANSYS Mechanical
  • NASA CEA
  • MATLAB
Syllabus

8 modules

  1. 1.1Blowdown supersonic wind tunnels
  2. 1.2Ludwieg tubes
  3. 1.3Shock tunnels and shock tubes
  4. 1.4Expansion tubes
  5. 1.5Arc plasmatrons and arc-jets
  6. 1.6ICP inductive plasma
  7. 1.7Ballistic ranges
  8. 1.8Simulating flight conditions
  9. 1.9Reference European facilities
  10. 1.10Workshop: selecting a facility for a test
  1. 2.1Coaxial and thin-film thermocouples
  2. 2.2Slug and Gardon calorimeters
  3. 2.3Fast pressure transducers
  4. 2.4Infrared thermography
  5. 2.5Schlieren visualisation
  6. 2.6Laser techniques and spectroscopy
  7. 2.7Pyrometry
  8. 2.8High-speed data acquisition
  9. 2.9Measurement uncertainty
  10. 2.10Practical exercise: calorimeter data reduction
  1. 3.1Carbon-phenolic ablators
  2. 3.2Low-density PICA-type ablators
  3. 3.3Reusable ceramic tiles
  4. 3.4Reinforced carbon-carbon
  5. 3.5Ceramic matrix composites
  6. 3.6Ultra-high-temperature ceramics
  7. 3.7Flexible insulators
  8. 3.8Adhesives and bonded joints
  9. 3.9Materials selection
  10. 3.10Case study: comparing materials for a capsule
  1. 4.1Ablation mechanisms
  2. 4.2Pyrolysis and char layer
  3. 4.3Blockage by gas injection
  4. 4.4Surface recession
  5. 4.5Oxidation and catalycity
  6. 4.6Material response models
  7. 4.7Oxyacetylene torch testing
  8. 4.8Test-model correlation
  9. 4.9Mass and thickness loss
  10. 4.10Lab: one-dimensional ablation modelling
  1. 5.1Conductivity by laser flash
  2. 5.2Specific heat by calorimetry
  3. 5.3Dilatometry
  4. 5.4High-temperature emissivity
  5. 5.5Hot mechanical properties
  6. 5.6Microstructure and porosity
  7. 5.7Thermal ageing
  8. 5.8Materials databases
  9. 5.9Batch quality control
  10. 5.10Practical exercise: analysing diffusivity data
  1. 6.1Mission requirements and margins
  2. 6.2Thickness sizing
  3. 6.3Transient thermal analysis
  4. 6.4Joints, gaps and discontinuities
  5. 6.5Integration with the structure
  6. 6.6Mass considerations
  7. 6.7Repair and reuse
  8. 6.8Non-destructive inspection
  9. 6.9TPS reliability
  10. 6.10Case study: sizing a capsule heat shield
  1. 7.1Planning test campaigns
  2. 7.2Test matrix and conditions
  3. 7.3Scaling from test to flight
  4. 7.4Correlation with numerical models
  5. 7.5Uncertainty quantification
  6. 7.6Instrumented flight data
  7. 7.7Anomaly management
  8. 7.8Qualification documentation
  9. 7.9Safety in high-energy facilities
  10. 7.10Workshop: qualification plan for a material
  1. 8.1Mission profile and thermal loads
  2. 8.2Material selection
  3. 8.3Preliminary TPS design
  4. 8.4Test plan
  5. 8.5Proposed instrumentation
  6. 8.6Analysis of expected results
  7. 8.7Correlation and margins
  8. 8.8Conclusions
  9. 8.9Report and presentation
  10. 8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

100% online programme on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. 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 LabVIEW, COMSOL Multiphysics, ANSYS Mechanical, NASA CEA and MATLAB, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: designing campaigns in shock tunnels and arc-jets, thermophysical characterisation of materials and sizing thermal protection systems. Assessment is continuous per module plus the final project.

Standards covered: ASTM E285, ASTM E457, ASTM E511, ECSS-E-ST-31C, ASTM E1461, ECSS-Q-ST-70-04C.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of ASTM E285, ASTM E457 and ASTM E511 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:LabVIEW, COMSOL Multiphysics, ANSYS Mechanical, NASA CEA and MATLAB, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Final project:A testing and thermal protection project covering material selection, preliminary TPS design, test plan, instrumentation and correlation, reviewed by your tutor.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Mission profile and material
Define the mission thermal loads and select the protection material.
Preliminary TPS design
Size the thermal protection system with transient thermal analysis.
Test plan and instrumentation
Plan the test campaign and the instrumentation to be used.
Correlation and margins
Analyse expected results, correlate them with models and set margins.
Final project
Conclusions, report and presentation, reviewed by your tutor.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Aerothermal test engineerThermal protection materials engineerInstrumentation engineerSpacecraft thermal engineerHigh-enthalpy facilities researcherTest laboratory manager
Admissions & scholarships

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 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.

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FAQ

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 LabVIEW, COMSOL Multiphysics, ANSYS Mechanical, NASA CEA and MATLAB, 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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