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   Earn a Masters Degree by Building a Real Spacecraft

[Masters Student Assembling CanX-2]The Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) seeks outstanding candidates for graduate study at the Masters and Ph.D. levels. Students admitted to the program will have the chance to be involved in real space missions and gain practical, hands-on space systems engineering experience under the tutelage of our expert staff. UTIAS/SFL seeks students with strong backgrounds in Aerospace, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.

UTIAS/SFL offers students the opportunity to be a part of an integrated multi-disciplinary team that designs, builds, launches and operates real satellites in approximately two year cycles, or the time it takes to complete a Masters degree. While at UTIAS/SFL, students work side by side with engineering professionals in small teams of 10-15 people to define and realize space missions involving satellites under 10 kilograms, or “nanosatellites.” In two years, students are exposed to the complete spacecraft development cycle, from mission conception to launch and on-orbit operations. No other program like this currently exists in Canada.

[Masters Student Integrating CanX-2 in the Clean Room] UTIAS/SFL nanosatellite missions include technology demonstration and space science missions exploiting the latest commercial technologies. These technologies offer high performance and miniaturization not typically available in traditional space missions. Recent missions in the Canadian Advance Nanospace eXperiment (CanX) program include CanX-2, a technology demonstration mission with atmospheric science payloads, CanX-3 (BRITE), a space astronomy mission involving four nanosatellites performing long duration stellar photometry, and CanX-4&5, two identical satellites demonstrating precise on-orbit formation flight. Mission concepts currently under study include the Lunette lunar farside gravity mapping mission and the Magnetic Observations of Mars Enabled by Nanosatellite Technology (MOMENT) mission.

As part of a tightly integrated design team, students specialize in one of several areas, while actively participating in the design of the complete spacecraft. These areas include but are not limited to:

    [Masters Student Performing Orbit Operations in the SFRL Ground Station]
  • On-board computers
  • On-board software
  • Tracking, telemetry and command (radios, antennas, communications)
  • Ground station hardware and software
  • Power systems analysis and design
  • Thermal analysis and design
  • Structural analysis and design
  • Attitude control system analysis, simulation and design
  • Propulsion
  • Payloads (instruments for science and technology demonstration)
  • Systems engineering (mission analysis, requirements, design trades, budgeting)

For instructions on how to apply, please refer to the UTIAS Admissions Information.

[CanX-2 Nanosatellite] [PSLV launch similar to the one that will carry CanX-2 to Orbit][One of the SFL Ground Station Antenna Towers]

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