The calendar below includes the lecture (LE) and lab (LA) sessions for the first semester (16.83). The lectures provide background on the project, its technical knowledge requirements, and introduces students to aspects of system design which may be unfamiliar. Major presentations are identified in the Key Dates column, and sometimes include external audience members.
Subsequent semesters (16.831, 16.832) favor lab activities heavily. Lectures are given on demand, when a knowledge gap is identified. Milestones for each semester include major presentations and important report documents.
| SES # | TOPICS | KEY DATES |
|---|---|---|
| LE1 | Class introduction, Requirements | |
| LE2 | Requirements (cont.), Electromagnetic("EM") design | |
| LA1 | Team activities | |
| LE3 | System management | Team plans presentations |
| LE4 | Mission design, Teamwork | |
| LA2 | Team activities | |
| LE5 | Formation flight control | Team presentations |
| LA3 | Team activities | |
| LE6 | Trade analyses | Team presentations |
| LE7 | Presentation planning | Individual program report presentations |
| LA4 | Trade analysis and requirements review ("TARR") preparation | |
| LE8 | Sub-system planning, Real-time software | |
| LA5 | TARR preparation | Team progress report presentations |
| LA6 | TARR preparation | |
| LA7 | TARR preparation | |
| LA8 | TARR preparation | |
| LA9 | TARR dry run | |
| LE9 | TARR presentation | |
| LE10 | Lab introduction | Requirements document due |
| LE11 LA10 |
Reliability and operations Sub-system design |
|
| LE12 | Design document | |
| LA11 | Sub-system prototyping | |
| LA12 | Sub-system design | |
| LE13 | Sub-system report presentations | |
| LA13 | Sub-system prototyping | |
| LE14 | Manufacture and test | |
| LA14 | Sub-system prototyping | |
| LE15 | Presentation planning | |
| LA15 | Sub-system design | |
| LA16 | Sub-system prototyping | |
| LE16 | Sub-system report presentations | |
| LA17 | Preliminary design review ("PDR") preparation | |
| LA18 | Sub-system prototyping | |
| LE17 | PDR presentations | |
| LA19 | PDR action items | |
| LA20 | Design document preparation | |
| LA21 | Design document preparation | |
| LA22 | Team social | Design document due |