Hours of collaboratively working on Google Slides later, our 127-page Preliminary Design Review (PDR) is finally complete. From fact-checking content, fixing grammar errors, to creating tables and diagrams, the presentation required a great amount of effort and attention to detail from the team. Fortunately, all eight members of the CanSat team were able to make important contributions to the presentation in their respective sections: mechanical, controls, and telemetry.

Although most subsystems worked on their own categories, sections such as the Descent Control Design, Communications and Data Handling, Integration and Test, and Requirements Compliance required team members from all of the subsystems to contribute to.

The PDR is the most extensive documentation required by the competition because the top 40 teams to compete in the competition are selected based on the quality of this presentation. We continuously updated a PDR Progress Tracking document in order to keep up with the submission deadline and ensure that each and every slide in the presentation was properly accounted for.

It was important for us that the presentation was accurate and informative while also being aesthetically pleasing. We decided to use a thematic color scheme of blue, similar to our team’s logo, and its complementary color orange. We also maintained a structured approach of displaying the required information such as numbered lists and similarly formatted tables and diagrams. Using both consistent colors and formatting allowed our presentation to have a professional tone and to be easily comprehensible.

After submitting the PDR on Thursday, February 1st, we received confirmation that our presentation had been successfully received by the CanSat Competition. We were also able to schedule our teleconference meeting on Monday, February 26th at 1:00 pm, which is the same time as our weekly meetings.

In order to for us to optimize our chance of being in the top 40 teams to compete, we are ensuring that each member of the team individually prepares his or her respective sections in the presentation. Since the CanSat competition organizers will only be hearing our voices during the presentation, it is crucial that every team member is able to show confidence in speaking and in answering any questions they may receive. While we wait for the results of our eligibility to participate in the CanSat Competition, we will continue making preparations for our CanSat prototyping and testing.

— Amy Huynh
Documentation