The goal of Team Sycamore was to design, build and manufacture a rocket that had an alternate recovery system, meaning it would not use a parachute to deploy, but rather an in-built mechanism. This mechanism, dubbed the Umbrella mechanism, was comprised of four rods that moved vertically on a central rod. These rods would start parallel to the central axis before becoming perpendicular during deployment, a process triggered by the ejection charge of the motor and as depicted below. If we had any recommendations for future teams competing, it would surely be to plan out your project phases as early as possible and document everything you do. This will not only ensure that you can easily create your reports, but also help provide clear timelines and help you all balance your university workload with your extracurricular activities. Another piece of advice would be to attend as many mentoring sessions as possible, because the content of these sessions is highly useful.
