POE Unit 5 • Lesson 5.15

Iteration and Design Freeze

Revise the prototype, retest key functions, and document the final design freeze decision.

Lesson Snapshot

Student Objective

I can make evidence-based improvements and decide when the design is ready for final documentation.

Main Activity

Revise the prototype, retest key functions, and document the final design freeze decision.

Deliverable

Iteration log and design freeze statement

Tools / Materials

Prototype, tools, engineering change request, notebook

1ProblemUnderstand the challenge and why it matters.

Today’s work supports the final capstone by moving your team from an idea toward a tested aerospace system that can be explained with evidence. Focus on what the system must accomplish, how it will be tested, and what decisions need to be documented.

2ConceptLearn the engineering idea or skill.

A strong capstone connects technical decisions to requirements. Every sketch, subsystem, material choice, control decision, measurement, and revision should help prove that the system meets the mission problem.

3ApplyUse the skill in a guided task.

Revise the prototype, retest key functions, and document the final design freeze decision.

4DocumentRecord your evidence and decisions.

Record your objective, key decisions, diagrams, data, sketches, photos, calculations, and the deliverable for today: Iteration log and design freeze statement.

5ReviewCheck quality and identify your next step.

Before leaving today, make sure your work is specific enough that another engineer could understand what changed, why it changed, and what your team needs to do next.

Lesson Resources

Use these files and shared website resources when they support today’s capstone work.

Design Review Form

Use to prepare your final design review and organize evidence for feedback.

Open Resource

Decision Matrix

Use to compare concepts and justify the direction your team selected.

Open Resource

Measurement Data Sheet

Use for repeated trials, measurements, observations, and performance data.

Open Resource

Engineering Resource Library

Templates, reference sheets, sketch paper, and course support files.

Open Resource