A team of students from the University of Southern California’s Rocket Propulsion Lab has broken the record for the highest altitude reached by an independently designed and built suborbital rocket. On October 20, they launched Aftershock II to 470,000 feet (143,256 meters) above Earth’s surface, surpassing the previous record held by a civilian team since 2014.
The students, who have previously achieved impressive milestones in space exploration, designed and built Aftershock II with improved safety features and avionics. The rocket reached a velocity of 5,283 feet per second (1,610 meters per second) and Mach 5.5, marking the first time a non-government or private company-owned rocket has achieved this altitude.
The record-breaking achievement comes after the students refined their initial design for the Traveler IV rocket. Aftershock II stands at 13 feet tall and was equipped with a new thermal protection system that allowed it to withstand hypersonic speeds.
The team’s leader, Ryan Kraemer, said, “To exceed our standard with Traveler IV, we had to solve many technical challenges.” Kraemer praised the success of their new protective paint system, which enabled the rocket to return largely intact.
This achievement is a testament to the students’ determination and expertise in space exploration. As the private industry continues to expand, it’s heartening to see independent groups like this one striving to push the boundaries of what’s possible.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/student-built-rocket-shatters-altitude-record-2000525846