The Design Process
Design Reviews
As specified in NASA’s engineering design life cycle, multiple design reviews are used to assess the feasibility and practicality of both attempting and accomplishing a particular project. This includes a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) to assess mission goals, risks, and criteria and is followed by a Critical Design Review (CDR). All stages include extensive criticism and evaluation by other SSI members and external entities. As launch nears, a Flight Readiness Review (FRR) will be conducted, followed by a Launch Readiness Review (LRR). The final stage of the review process is the Post Launch Assessment Review (PLAR).
The CDR demonstrates that the maturity of the design is appropriate to support proceeding to full-scale fabrication, assembly, integration, and test and that the technical effort is on track to complete the flight and ground system development and mission operations in order to meet overall performance requirements within the identified cost and schedule constraints. Progress against management plans, budget, and schedule, as well as risk assessment, are presented. The CDR is a review of the final design of the launch vehicle and payload system. All analyses should be complete and some critical testing should be complete.
The FRR examines tests, demonstrations, analyses, and audits that determine the overall system (all projects working together) readiness for a safe and successful flight/launch and for subsequent flight operations of the as-built rocket and payload system. It ensures that all flight and ground hardware, software, personnel, and procedures are operationally ready. See specific guidelines and expectations produced by NASA.
The FRR should be structured in the following format:
General overview
Team summary, motor choice, deployment system (high level overview)
All changes since CDR
Vehicle Testing and Design
Payload Criteria
Launch Operations
Deployment tests with ejection charges
Flight profile simulations based on rocket manufacturing
Ground station and avionics testing
Quality of construction and manufacturing
Aesthetics, neatness
Strength of construction, attachment integrity
Strength of load-bearing parts, quality of seals
Failure analysis
Failures modes, causes, effects, and mitigation
Furthermore, please note that launch-site safety officers will also be present to approve and assess your rockets.
[Add PLAR summary]
The rest of this document will be the templates of each review and explanations of exactly what is required per section. There will be page breaks between each document.
Formatted by:
Ian Gomez
Andrew Milich
Logan Herrera
Sources:
Preliminary Design Review Report
I) Summary of PDR report
Suggested length: 1 page
Team Summary
Team name
Team members
Launch Vehicle Summary
Size and mass
Motor choice
Recovery system
Milestone Review Flysheet
Payload Summary
Payload title
Summarize experiment
II) Vehicle Criteria
Suggested length: 1-2 pages
Selection, Design, and Verification of Launch Vehicle
Include a mission statement, requirements, and mission success criteria.
Review the design at a system level, going through each system’s functional requirements (includes sketches of options, selection rationale, selected concept, and characteristics).
Describe the subsystems that are required to accomplish the overall mission.
Describe the performance characteristics for the system and subsystems and determine the evaluation and verification metrics
Describe the verification plan and its status. At a minimum, a table should be included that lists each requirement, and for each requirement briefly describe the design feature that will satisfy that requirement and how that requirement will ultimately be verified (such as by inspection, analysis, and/or test).
Define the risks and the plans for reducing the risks through analysis or testing for each system. A risk plot that clearly portrays the risk mitigation schedule is encouraged. Take all factors that might affect the project including risks associated with testing, delivery of parts, adequate personnel, school holidays, budget costs, etc. Demonstrate an understanding of all components needed to complete the project and how risks/delays impact the project
Demonstrate planning of manufacturing, verification, integration, and operations (include component testing, functional testing, or static testing).
Describe the confidence and maturity of design.
Include a dimensional drawing of entire assembly. The drawing set should include drawings of the entire launch vehicle, compartments within the launch vehicle (such as parachute bays, payload bays, and electronics bays), and significant structural design features of the launch vehicle (such as fins and bulkheads).
Include electrical schematics for the recovery system.
Include a Mass Statement. Discuss the estimated mass of the launch vehicle, its subsystems, and components. What is the basis of the mass estimate and how accurate is it? Discuss how much margin there is before the vehicle becomes too heavy to launch with the identified propulsion system. Are you holding any mass in reserve (i.e., are you planning for any mass growth as the design matures)? If so, how much? As a point of reference, a reasonable rule of thumb is that the mass of a new product will grow between 25 and 33% between PDR and the delivery of the final product.
Recovery Subsystem
Demonstrate that analysis has begun to determine size for mass, attachment scheme, deployment process, and test results/plans with ejection charges and electronics.
Discuss the major components of the recovery system (such as the parachutes, parachute harnesses, attachment hardware, and bulkheads), and verify that they will be robust enough to withstand the expected loads.
Mission Performance Predictions
State mission performance criteria.
Show flight profile simulations, altitude predictions with simulated vehicle data, component weights, and simulated motor thrust curve, and verify that they are robust enough to withstand the expected loads.
Show stability margin, simulated Center of Pressure (CP)/Center of Gravity (CG) relationship and locations.
Calculate the kinetic energy at landing for each independent and tethered section of the launch vehicle.
Calculate the drift for each independent section of the launch vehicle from the launch pad for five different cases: no wind, 5-mph wind, 10-mph wind, 15-mph wind, and 20-mph wind.
Interfaces and Integration
Describe payload integration plan with an understanding that the payload must be co-developed with the vehicle, be compatible with stresses placed on the vehicle, and integrate easily and simply.
Describe the interfaces that are internal to the launch vehicle, such as between compartments and subsystems of the launch vehicle.
Describe the interfaces between the launch vehicle and the ground (mechanical, electrical, and/or wireless/transmitting).
Describe the interfaces between the launch vehicle and the ground launch system.
Launch Operation Procedures
Develop a checklist of final assembly and launch procedures.
Safety and Environment (Vehicle)
Identify a safety officer for your team.
Provide a preliminary analysis of the failure modes of the proposed design of the rocket, payload integration, and launch operations, including proposed and completed mitigations.
Provide a listing of personnel hazards and data demonstrating that safety hazards have been researched, such as material safety data sheets, operator’s manuals, and NAR regulations, and that hazard mitigations have been addressed and enacted. ● Discuss any environmental concerns.
III) Payload Criteria
Selection, Design, and Verification of Payload Experiment
Review the design at a system level, going through each system’s functional requirements (includes sketches of options, selection rationale, selected concept, and characteristics).
Describe the payload subsystems that are required to accomplish the payload objectives.
Describe the performance characteristics for the system and subsystems and determine the evaluation and verification metrics.
Describe the verification plan and its status. At a minimum, a table should be included that lists each payload requirement and for each requirement briefly describe the design feature that will satisfy that requirement and how that requirement will ultimately be verified (such as by inspection, analysis, and/or test).
Describe preliminary integration plan.
Determine the precision of instrumentation, repeatability of measurement, and recovery system.
Include drawings and electrical schematics for the key elements of the payload.
Discuss the key components of the payload and how they will work together to achieve the desired results for the experiment.
Payload Concept Features and Definition
Creativity and originality
Uniqueness or significance
Suitable level of challenge
Science Value
Describe payload objectives.
State the payload success criteria.
Describe the experimental logic, approach, and method of investigation.
Describe test and measurement, variables, and controls.
Show relevance of expected data and accuracy/error analysis.
Describe the preliminary experiment process procedures.
Safety and Environment (Payload)
Identify safety officer for your team.
Provide a preliminary analysis of the failure modes of the proposed design of the rocket, payload integration, and launch operations, including proposed and completed mitigations.
Provide a listing of personnel hazards and data demonstrating that safety hazards have been researched, such as material safety data sheets, operator’s manuals, and NAR/TRA regulations, and that hazard mitigations have been addressed and enacted.
Discuss any environmental concerns.
IV) Project Plan
Show status of activities and schedule
Budget plan (in as much detail as possible)
Funding plan
Timeline (in as much detail as possible). GANTT charts are encouraged with a discussion of the critical path.
V) Conclusion
Preliminary Design Review Presentation
Please include the following in your presentation:
Vehicle dimensions, materials, and justifications
Static stability margin
Plan for vehicle safety verification and testing
Baseline motor selection and justification
Thrust-to-weight ratio and rail exit velocity
Launch vehicle verification and test plan overview
Drawing/Discussion of each major component and subsystem, especially the recovery subsystem
Baseline payload design
Payload verification and test plan overview
The presentation of the PDR shall be well prepared with a professional overall appearance. This includes, but is not limited to, the following: easy-to-see slides; appropriate placement of pictures, graphs, and videos; professional appearance of the presenters; speaking clearly and loudly; referring to the slides, not reading them; and communicating to the panel in an appropriate and professional manner.
This review should be viewed as the opportunity to convince the review panel that the preliminary design will meet all requirements, has a high probability of meeting the mission objectives, and can be safely constructed, tested, launched, and recovered. Upon successful completion of the PDR, the team is given the authority to proceed into the final design phase of the life cycle that will culminate in the Critical Design Review.
We will provide a template for your use if you would like to have a structured one. Feel free to make your own!
Critical Design Review
I) Summary of CDR report
Suggested length: 1 page
Team Summary
Team name
Team members
Launch Vehicle Summary
Size and mass
Motor choice
Recovery system
Rail size
Milestone Review Flysheet
Payload Summary
Payload title
Summarize experiment
II) Changes made since PDR
Suggested length: 1-2 pages
Highlight all changes made since PDR and the reason for those changes.
Changes made to vehicle criteria
Changes made to payload criteria
Changes made to project plan
III) Vehicle Criteria
Suggested length: 1-2 pages
Design, and Verification of Launch Vehicle
Flight Reliability and Confidence
Include a mission statement, requirements, and mission success criteria.
Include major milestone schedule (project initiation, design, manufacturing, verification, operations, and major reviews)
Review the design at a system level
Final drawings and specifications
Final analysis and model results, anchored to test data
Test description and results
Final motor selection
Demonstrate that the design can meet all system level functional requirements. For each requirement, state the design feature that satisfies that requirement and how that requirement has been, or will be, verified.
Specify approach to workmanship as it relates to mission success.
Discuss planned additional component, functional, or static testing.
Status and plans of remaining manufacturing and assembly.
Discuss the integrity of design.
Suitability of shape and fin style for mission
Proper use of materials in fins, bulkheads, and structural elements
Proper assembly procedures, proper attachment and alignment of elements, solid connection points, and load paths ○ Sufficient motor mounting and retention
Status of verification
Drawings of the launch vehicle, subsystems, and major components
Include a Mass Statement. Discuss the estimated mass of the final design and its subsystems and components. Discuss the basis and accuracy of the mass estimate, the expected mass growth between CDR and the delivery of the final product, and the sensitivity of the launch vehicle to mass growth (e.g., How much mass margin there is before the vehicle becomes too heavy to launch on the selected propulsion system?).
Discuss the safety and failure analysis.
Subscale Flight Results
Include actual flight data from onboard computers, if available.
Compare the predicted flight model to the actual flight data. Discuss the results.
Discuss how the subscale flight data has impacted the design of the full-scale launch vehicle.
Recovery Subsystem
Describe the parachute, harnesses, bulkheads, and attachment hardware.
Discuss the electrical components and how they will work together to safely recover the launch vehicle.
Include drawings/sketches, block diagrams, and electrical schematics.
Discuss the kinetic energy at significant phases of the mission, especially at landing.
Discuss test results.
Discuss safety and failure analysis.
Mission Performance Predictions
State mission performance criteria.
- == Show flight profile simulations, altitude predictions with final vehicle design, weights, and actual motor thrust curve. ==
- == Show thoroughness and validity of analysis, drag assessment, and scale modeling results. ==
- == Show stability margin and the actual CP and CG relationship and locations. ==
Payload Integration
Ease of integration
Describe integration plan.
Installation and removal, interface dimensions, and precision fit.
Compatibility of elements.
Simplicity of integration procedure.
Launch Concerns and Operation Procedures
Submit draft of final assembly and launch procedures.
Recovery preparation.
Motor preparation.
Igniter installation.
Setup on launcher.
Troubleshooting.
Postflight inspection.
Safety and Environment (Vehicle)
Identify a safety officer for your team.
Update the preliminary analysis of the failure modes of the proposed design of the rocket, payload integration, and launch operations, including proposed and completed mitigations.
Update the listing of personnel hazards and data demonstrating that safety hazards have been researched, such as material safety data sheets, operator’s manuals, and NAR regulations, and that hazard mitigations have been addressed and enacted.
Discuss any environmental concerns.
IV) Payload Criteria
Testing and Design of Payload
Review the design at a system level
Drawings and specifications
Analysis results
Test results
Integrity of design
Demonstrate that the design can meet all system-level functional requirements.
Specify approach to workmanship as it relates to mission success.
Discuss planned component testing, functional testing, or static testing.
Status and plans of remaining manufacturing and assembly.
Describe integration plan.
Discuss the precision of instrumentation and repeatability of measurement.
Discuss the payload electronics with special attention given to transmitters.
Drawings and schematics
Block diagrams
Batteries/power
Transmitter frequencies, wattage, and location
Test plans
Provide a safety and failure analysis.
Payload Concept Features and Definition
Creativity and originality
Uniqueness or significance
Suitable level of challenge
Science Value
Describe payload objectives.
State the payload success criteria.
Describe the experimental logic, approach, and method of investigation.
Describe test and measurement, variables, and controls.
Show relevance of expected data and accuracy/error analysis.
Describe the experimental process procedures.
Safety and Environment (Payload)
Identify safety officer for your team.
Provide a preliminary analysis of the failure modes of the proposed design of the rocket, payload integration, and launch operations, including proposed and completed mitigations.
Provide a listing of personnel hazards and data demonstrating that safety hazards have been researched, such as material safety data sheets, operator’s manuals, and NAR/TRA regulations, and that hazard mitigations have been addressed and enacted.
Discuss any environmental concerns.
V) Project Plan
Show status of activities and schedule
Budget plan (in as much detail as possible)
Funding plan
Timeline (in as much detail as possible). GANTT charts are encouraged with a discussion of the critical path.
VI) Conclusion
Critical Design Review Presentation
Please include the following information in your presentation:
Final launch vehicle dimensions
Discuss key design features
Final motor choice
Rocket flight stability in static margin diagram
Thrust-to-weight ratio and rail exit velocity
Mass Statement and mass margin
Parachute sizes, recovery harness type, size, and length, and descent rates
Kinetic energy at key phases of the mission, especially landing
Predicted drift from the launch pad with 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-mph wind
Test plans and procedures
Scale model flight test
Tests of the staged recovery system
Final payload design overview
Payload integration
Interfaces (internal within the launch vehicle and external to the ground)
Status of requirements verification
The team is expected to present and defend the final design of the launch vehicle (including the payload), showing that design meets the mission objectives and requirements and that the design can be safely, constructed, tested, launched, and recovered. Upon successful completion of the CDR, the team is given the authority to proceed into the construction and verification phase of the life cycle which will culminate in a Flight Readiness Review.
We will provide a template for your use if you would like to have a structured one. Feel free to make your own!
Flight Readiness Review
I) Summary of FRR report
Suggested length: 1 page
Team Summary
Team name
Team members
Launch Vehicle Summary
Size and mass
Motor choice
Recovery system
Rail size
Milestone Review Flysheet
Payload Summary
Payload title
Summarize experiment
II) Changes made since CDR
Suggested length: 1-2 pages
Highlight all changes made since CDR and the reason for those changes.
Changes made to vehicle criteria
Changes made to payload criteria
Changes made to project plan
III) Vehicle Criteria
Suggested length: 1-2 pages
Design, and Construction of Launch Vehicle
Describe the design and construction of the launch vehicle, with special attention to the features that will enable the vehicle to be launched and recovered safely.
Structural elements (such as airframe, fins, bulkheads, attachment hardware, etc.).
Electrical elements (wiring, switches, battery retention, retention of avionics boards, etc.).
Drawings and schematics to describe the assembly of the vehicle.
Discuss flight reliability confidence. Demonstrate that the design can meet mission success criteria. Discuss analysis, and component, functional, or static testing.
Present test data and discuss analysis, and component, functional, or static testing of components and subsystems.
Describe the workmanship that will enable mission success.
Provide a safety and failure analysis, including a table with failure modes, causes, effects, and risk mitigations.
Discuss full-scale launch test results. Present and discuss actual flight data. Compare and contrast flight data to the predictions from analysis and simulations.
Provide a Mass Report and the basis for the reported masses.
Recovery Subsystem
Describe and defend the robustness of as-built and as-tested recovery system.
Structural elements (such as bulkheads, harnesses, attachment hardware, etc.).
Electrical elements (such as altimeters/computers, switches, connectors).
Redundancy features.
Parachute sizes and descent rates
Drawings and schematics of the electrical and structural assemblies.
Rocket-locating transmitters with a discussion of frequency, wattage, and range.
Discuss the sensitivity of the recovery system to onboard devices that generate electromagnetic fields (such as transmitters). This topic should also be included in the Safety and Failure Analysis section.
Suitable parachute size for mass, attachment scheme, deployment process, test results with ejection charge and electronics
Safety and failure analysis. Include table with failure modes, causes, effects, and risk mitigations.
Mission Performance Predictions
State mission performance criteria.
Provide flight profile simulations, altitude predictions with real vehicle data, component weights, and actual motor thrust curve. Include real values with optimized design for altitude. Include sensitivities.
Thoroughness and validity of analysis, drag assessment, and scale modeling results. Compare analyses and simulations to measured values from ground and/or flight tests. Discuss how the predictive analyses and simulation have been made more accurate by test and flight data.
Provide stability margin, with actual CP and CG relationship and locations. Include dimensional moment diagram or derivation of values with points indicated on vehicle. Include sensitivities.
Discuss the management of kinetic energy through the various phases of the mission, with special attention to landing.
Discuss the altitude of the launch vehicle and the drift of each independent section of the launch vehicle for winds of 0-, 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-mph.
Safety and Environment (Vehicle)
Provide a safety and mission assurance analysis. Provide a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (which can be as simple as a table of failure modes, causes, effects, and mitigations/controls put in place to minimize the occurrence or effect of the hazard or failure). Discuss likelihood and potential consequences for the top 5 to 10 failures (most likely to occur and/or worst consequences).
As the program is moving into the operational phase of the Life Cycle, update the listing of personnel hazards, including data demonstrating that safety hazards that will still exist after FRR. Include a table which discusses the remaining hazards and the controls that have been put in place to minimize those safety hazards to the greatest extent possible.
Discuss any environmental concerns that remain as the project moves into the operational phase of the life cycle.
Payload Integration
Describe the integration of the payload into the launch vehicle.
Demonstrate compatibility of elements and show fit at interface dimensions.
Describe and justify payload-housing integrity.
Demonstrate integration: show a diagram of components and assembly with documented process.
IV) Payload Criteria
Payload Concept Features and Definition
Creativity and originality
Uniqueness or significance
Suitable level of challenge
Design of Payload
Describe the design and construction of the payload and demonstrate that the design meets all mission requirements.
Structural elements (such as airframe, bulkheads, attachment hardware, etc.).
Electrical elements (wiring, switches, battery retention, retention of avionics boards, etc.).
Drawings and schematics to describe the design and assembly of the payload.
Provide information regarding the precision of instrumentation and repeatability of measurement (include calibration with uncertainty).
Provide flight performance predictions (flight values integrated with detailed experiment operations).
Specify approach to workmanship as it relates to mission success.
Discuss the test and verification program.
Science Value
Describe payload objectives.
State the payload success criteria.
Describe the experimental logic, approach, and method of investigation.
Describe test and measurement, variables, and controls.
Show relevance of expected data and accuracy/error analysis.
Describe the experimental process procedures.
Verification (Payload)
For each payload requirement, describe how that requirement has been satisfied, and by what method the requirement was verified. Note: Requirements are often satisfied by design features, and requirements are usually verified by one or more of the following methods: analysis, inspection, and test.
The verification statement for each payload requirement should include results of the analysis, inspection, and/or test which prove that the requirement has been properly verified.
Safety and Environment (Payload)
Identify safety officer for your team.
Provide a preliminary analysis of the failure modes of the proposed design of the rocket, payload integration, and launch operations, including proposed and completed mitigations.
Provide a listing of personnel hazards and data demonstrating that safety hazards have been researched, such as material safety data sheets, operator’s manuals, and NAR/TRA regulations, and that hazard mitigations have been addressed and enacted.
Discuss any environmental concerns.
V) Launch Operations Procedures
Checklist
Provide detailed procedure and check lists for the following (as a minimum).
Recovery preparation
Motor preparation
Igniter installation
Setup on launcher
Launch procedure
Troubleshooting
Postflight inspection
Safety and Quality Assurance
Provide detailed safety procedures for each of the categories in the Launch Operations Procedures checklist. Include the following:
Provide data demonstrating that risks are at acceptable levels.
Provide risk assessment for the launch operations, including proposed and completed mitigations.
Discuss environmental concerns.
Identify individual that is responsible for maintaining safety, quality and procedures checklists.
VI) Project Plan
Show status of activities and schedule
Budget plan (in as much detail as possible)
Funding plan
Timeline (in as much detail as possible). GANTT charts are encouraged with a discussion of the critical path.
VII) Conclusion
Flight Readiness Review Presentation
Please include the following information in your presentation:
Launch Vehicle design and dimensions
Discuss key design features of the launch vehicle
Motor description
Rocket flight stability in static margin diagram
Launch thrust-to-weight ratio and rail exit velocity
Mass statement ● Parachute sizes and descent rates
Kinetic energy at key phases of the mission, especially at landing
Predicted altitude of the launch vehicle with a 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-mph wind
Predicted drift from the launch pad with a 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-mph wind
Test plans and procedures
Full-scale flight test. Present and discuss the actual flight test data.
Recovery system tests
Summary of Requirements Verification (launch vehicle)
Payload design and dimensions
Key design features of the launch vehicle
Payload integration
Interfaces with ground systems
Summary of requirements verification (payload)
The team is expected to present and defend the as-built launch vehicle (including the payload), showing that the launch vehicle meets all requirements and mission objectives and that the design can be safely launched and recovered. Upon successful completion of the FRR, the team is given the authority to proceed into the Launch and Operational phases of the life cycle.
Post-Launch Assessment Review
Suggested length: 4-15 pages
The PLAR is an assessment of system in-flight performance. Your PLAR should include the following items at a minimum.
Team name
Motor used Brief payload description
Rocket height
Rocket diameter
Rocket mass
Altitude reached (Feet)
Vehicle Summary
Data analysis & results of vehicle
Payload summary
Data analysis & results of payload
Scientific value
Visual data observed
Lessons learned
Summary of overall experience (what you attempted to do versus the results and how you felt your results were; how valuable you felt the experience was)
Budget Summary