LAUNCH YOUR CAREER
IN SPACECRAFT ENGINEERING
BE THE BEST
IN A BOOMING SPACE INDUSTRY
Sometimes opportunity knocks in a way that you never anticipated or expected. If you have
completed your undergraduate degree in engineering, computer science or other technical
field, the SFL Apprenticeship Program may be the accelerated path to a career in spacecraft
engineering that you have been looking for.
The SFL Apprenticeship Program is an intense two-year paid training program whose purpose
is to develop elite spacecraft engineers, capable of adapting to the demands of the
space industry in any capacity, whether in traditional space development, microspace or
newspace.
Those who complete the SFL Apprenticeship Program will have the skills that are in high
demand by top space companies the world over. A Certificate of Apprenticeship from SFL
signals to potential space industry employers that you are the best of the best and have the
design and hands-on spacecraft engineering experience that is virtually impossible to find.
In essence, you will become the needle in the haystack of applicants that space companies
are desperate to find.
Our view is that graduating students who are career-oriented are best served by a hands-on,
deep immersion in real-world spacecraft engineering versus the additional theory of a university
graduate program.
We look forward to receiving applications from candidates who have completed, or are now
completing, their undergraduate degree programs.
Sincerely,
Dr. Robert E. Zee, Director
TRAIN WITH ELITE
SPACECRAFT ENGINEERS
Apprentices will train alongside professional spacecraft engineers in small teams to complete
real-world space missions for government, industry and/or research institutions.
At SFL Missions we offer intense hands-on training in small spacecraft development teams.
We focus on training apprentices in good spacecraft design and test philosophy instead of
over reliance on formality, excessive process, irrelevant standards and parts certifications
that tend to inspire overconfidence, obscure flaws and limit understanding.
We actually give our apprentices the ability to design spacecraft from strong fundamentals
and to become knowledgeable systems engineers. Our apprentices gain deep insight and the
skills to question assumptions to develop robust purpose-built spacecraft.
For these reasons, the SFL Apprenticeship Program is known as the “Top Gun” training program
of spacecraft engineering.
“Graduates from the SFL program can be found
(excelling!) in space companies around the world.”
Nathan Paes, Spacecraft Engineer, SFL
LEAPFROG THE COMPETITION
FOR THE BEST SPACE JOBS
This program is built upon significant heritage. This apprenticeship offers the same world-renowned, hands-on training and focused education that has been delivered at SFL since 1998 to cultivate elite spacecraft engineers in a two-year period. It is an industrial apprenticeship that provides a certificate for you to leapfrog the competition for the best jobs in the space industry. And if that were not enough, you may also be offered a coveted job/position at SFL Missions Inc. upon completion of the apprenticeship.
“The combination of technical expertise and project
management skills I gained has not only opened doors to
exciting opportunities in the aerospace and software
industry but also enabled me to thrive in this highly
specialized and innovative field.”
Payam Mehradnia, Member of Technical Staff – Software Development
– Technical Lead, Flight, MDA Space
SFL APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
AND THESIS
The SFL Apprenticeship Program is a two-year program. The program consists of a junior and
senior year. In the junior year, apprentices take courses related to spacecraft development.
They also begin a thesis comprised of contributions to active projects at SFL Missions Inc.
These projects are typically spacecraft under development or internal technology development
projects.
Apprentices specialize in specific technical areas that correspond to subsystems in spacecraft:
- Command and Data Handling (on-board computers and software)
- Telemetry and Command (radios, antennas)
- Power System (battery, solar arrays, distribution and control)
- Structure (including layout, enclosures, mechanisms, deployables)
- Thermal Control System
- Attitude Control
- Formation Control
- Propulsion
- Ground System Software
- Mission Control Software
There are opportunities to be involved in spacecraft assembly, integration and test. Apprentices
may also contribute to launch campaigns, commissioning and operation of satellites.
Talented apprentices with initiative may be able to be involved in multiple subsystems across
multiple missions.
Apprentices join small tightly integrated teams comprised of both experienced staff and
other apprentices. Project assignments are specified at the outset and adjusted every four
months to reflect the demands of active projects at SFL.
In their junior year, apprentices submit reports and give presentations at the four- and
eight-month mark to a review committee comprised of SFL experts in charge of assessing
progress and making recommendations. The thesis requirement is fulfilled over two years of
being embedded in SFL project teams. Project teams are led by mission managers who are
also systems engineers for their projects.
At the conclusion of their senior year, apprentices write a dissertation and give a presentation
to all staff and apprentices at SFL Missions Inc.
“The program…served as both a fundamental starting
point as well as a rapid on-ramp to a highly successful career
in the international space industry.”
Payam Mehradnia, Member of Technical Staff – Software Development
– Technical Lead, Flight, MDA Space
SFL APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
AND THESIS
SFL-1520 Microsatellite Design Project Course 1 (mandatory)
The primary objective of this course is to train apprentices in the early design of spacecraft and space systems following the microspace philosophy. The goal is to have apprentices contribute directly to the development of space missions that exploit the latest commercial technologies and low-cost design approaches. In some cases, course projects are directly related to larger projects organized by SFL to contribute to planned or future space missions.
Apprentices taking the course will join a coordinated design team whose goals are to take mission-level requirements and document a feasible system design to meet those requirements. Each team member will be exposed to satellite system-level analysis and design, and selected subsystem-level analysis and design in one or more of the following areas: Systems Engineering, Mission Analysis, Power, Communications, Radios, Antennas (Tracking, Telemetry, and Command), Thermal Analysis and Control, Structure, Attitude Control, Position Control, and On-Board Computers.
The course is given as a series of team meetings with presentations and reports required from apprentices at stated intervals. Each apprentice will be assigned a specific subsystem area. You will be expected to (a) learn about space mission development through selected readings, (b) attend weekly group meetings, (c) define and complete a project under the guidance and mentorship of staff, and (d) prepare presentations and reports to summarize your work.
SFL-1521 Microsatellite Design Project Course 2 (mandatory)
A continuation of Microsatellite Design Project Course 1, this course will further define the mission and system design from the first course, with greater/finer detail in analysis and design. The course will culminate in a preliminary design review with reports and presentations.
SFL-M101 Mechanical Engineering Practice for Spacecraft (elective)
A seminar on mechanical engineering practice following the microspace philosophy at SFL Missions.
SFL-E101 Electrical Engineering Practice for Spacecraft (elective)
A seminar on electrical engineering practice following the microspace philosophy at SFL Missions.
SFL-506 Orbital Dynamics and Attitude Dynamics (elective)
This course first introduces the kinematics and dynamics of rigid-bodies as a prelude to dealing with spacecraft dynamics and control, which includes two different distinct areas of study: Orbital Dynamics and Control and Attitude Dynamics and Control.
Orbital Dynamics and Control
In the first part of the course, the two-body problem and orbital dynamics are studied, including orbit types, classical orbital elements and orbit determination. This is followed by an examination of orbital perturbations and orbital maneuvers, impulsive, in-plane and out-of-plane. Interplanetary trajectories and the restricted three-body problem are then analyzed.
Attitude Dynamics and Control
In the second part of this course, rigid-body torque-free motions are first considered, followed by the study of spin-stabilization and dual-spin stabilization. The disturbance torques that a spacecraft experiences in space are next considered. Three control approaches for dealing with these torques are then analysed, gravity-gradient stabilization, active spacecraft attitude control, and bias-momentum stabilization.
SFL-1503 Nonlinear Systems, Flexible Spacecraft, State Estimation (elective)
This course covers two advanced topics from the perspective of spacecraft dynamics and control: Nonlinear Systems and Flexible Spacecraft.
Nonlinear Systems
The stability of nonlinear systems is presented from both input-output and Lyapunov points of view, with applications to feedforward, feedback, and adaptive controller design. Linear state-space analysis and observer-based compensator design are studied. In addition, Euler parameters (quaternions) are examined as a means to describe attitude kinematics.
Flexible Spacecraft
Equations of motion, spatial discretization, modal equations, constrained and unconstrained modes, as well as mode selection, are treated in detail. Control system design is examined from an optimal control viewpoint, which is developed using variational calculus. Topics such as control/observation spillover and temporal discretization of linear controllers are scrutinized, with attention to LQR, LQG, H-infinity, and positive real design approaches.
SFL-STK1 Mission Analysis with Systems Tool Kit (STK) (elective)
This course is an introduction to Systems Tool Kit within the context of mission analysis including power, communications, orbits, and orbital maneuvers.
SFL APPRENTICESHIP
MANAGEMENT TEAM
DR. ROBERT E. ZEE – DIRECTOR, SFL
Dr. Zee is the Director of SFL. He was instrumental in establishing the lab in 1998 in response to the opportunity to provide major contributions to the MOST microsatellite, Canada’s first space telescope. He was responsible for setting up numerous programs at SFL and securing funding to develop new missions and new technologies that have enabled SFL to deliver some of the most productive microspace missions in the world. His responsibilities include strategic planning, business development, operations oversight, development practice, quality assurance policies, customer service, supervision, contract negotiation and management, finance and administration. In addition, he provides technical review, systems engineering input, and program guidance to the SFL staff. Dr. Zee also supervises graduate students with thesis topics related to microspace missions and technology under development at SFL. Dr. Zee has worked for Allied Signal Aerospace Company, Spar Aerospace Ltd., and IBM Canada Ltd. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Systems Design Engineering with a minor in Management Sciences from the University of Waterloo, and Master of Applied Science and PhD degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Toronto.
APPLY NOW
ASPIRING ENGINEERS WANTED
Students interested in the SFL Apprenticeship Program who are completing or have completed their final year of undergraduate studies may apply. Qualified applicants should have an undergraduate degree from a university engineering or computer science program. Graduates from other programs may apply but preference is given to engineering or computer science graduates. Applications are accepted annually between October 1–January 31 for admission the following September.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply for the SFL Apprenticeship Program, please send the following information to apprentice@sflmissions.com or APPLY ONLINE HERE.
1.
A cover letter with the following information:
- Your full name
- Date of birth
- Email address
- Phone number
- A description of your interest
and motivation - Confirmation of Canadian citizenship
or permanent residency
and ability to work in Canada
2.
Transcript(s) from undergraduate studies
3.
Current Resume
4.
Two letters of reference attesting to your:
- Background preparation
- Originality
- Research ability and potential
- Industriousness
- Judgment
- Overall technical ability
- Oral and written
communication skills
Referees should send their letters directly to apprentice@sflmissions.com with your name in the subject line. Referees are encouraged to rate each of the above qualities on a scale of 1 to 10 and justify their ratings in the letter.
We will review applications annually at the end of January and then contact applicants for interviews in early February. We look forward to receiving your application!
“I…was richly rewarded with a combination of theoretical and
practical end-to-end satellite design, test and operations experiences.”
Grant Bonin, Co-Founder and CEO, gravityLab