Mission Communications

Mission Goal

Create a clear, friendly explanation of your mission that a non-expert can understand in one minute. Your output must make people care and accurately describe what you’re doing.

Why This Matters

Real missions live or die on communication: teams need shared understanding, supporters need clarity, and decision-makers need confidence. If people can’t repeat your mission in their own words, it’s not landing.

Inputs From Other Teams

• Mission Design: mission objective + target environment + constraints.
• Mission Instrumentation: what data will be collected (sensors, sampling rate, units).
• Command & Control: how the mission is operated and verified.
• Launch / Recovery (if applicable): timeline highlights and safety boundaries.

If you don’t have inputs yet, use placeholders clearly labelled “TBD” — but do not invent performance claims.

What You Must Produce (Deliverables)

1. One-sentence mission summary (max 20 words).
2. One-minute mission script (spoken style, 120–160 words).
3. Three key facts (bullet points that are true and measurable).
4. One “what success looks like” line (clear outcome, not a vibe).

Templates

Short tweet template (≤ 280 chars)

We’re building [Mission Name]: a student mission to [do what] by measuring [data] using [hardware]. Success = [measurable outcome]. Follow our updates: [link]

Newsletter paragraph template (3–5 sentences)

This week, our team is working on [Mission Name], a project designed to [goal]. We’re collecting [data types + units] to learn [what it tells us]. Our next milestone is [specific deliverable], and we’ll prove success by [test/evidence].

Assembly slide outline (5 slides max)

1. What are we trying to do? (one sentence)
2. How are we doing it? (hardware + process)
3. What data will we collect? (3 bullets)
4. What could go wrong? (2–3 risks)
5. What does success look like? (evidence + celebration)

Step-by-Step

1. Name it: choose a mission name that matches the goal (not jokes, not hype).
2. Write the 20-word sentence: goal + method + data + success.
3. List 3 measurable facts: e.g., “temperature in °C every 2 seconds”.
4. Draft the 1-minute script: use simple language; avoid acronyms unless explained.
5. Reality check: ask someone outside your team to repeat it back. Fix what they misheard.
6. Publish: paste the final text into your team page or shared doc.

Success Criteria

• A non-expert can explain your mission back accurately after hearing it once.
• All numbers/claims are measurable and not exaggerated.
• Your mission’s data types and success definition are clear.
• Your tone is confident, simple, and respectful (no fake “space agency” claims).

Evidence Checklist

• ✅ One-sentence summary
• ✅ One-minute script
• ✅ Three measurable facts
• ✅ “Success looks like…” line
• ✅ Peer test: one person outside the team repeats it correctly

Ethics (Truthfulness, Privacy)

• Truthfulness: do not claim “live satellite” unless it truly is. Say what you can prove.
• Privacy: don’t publish student names, faces, or locations without permission.
• Attribution: credit external sources (images, facts, templates) if you use them.

Common Failure Modes

• Using acronyms without explanation (LPI, RSSI, IMU…).
• Hype language (“revolutionary”, “guaranteed”) with no evidence.
• Vague goals (“learn about space”) instead of a measurable outcome.
• Confusing “what we built” with “why it matters”.

Stretch Goals

• Create a 10-second “elevator pitch” version.
• Make a simple mission diagram (one image: inputs → process → outputs).
• Record audio of your 1-minute script and improve clarity.