USC's Aftershock II Rocket Breaks Altitude Record

• A rocket named Aftershock II, built by students at the University of Southern California (USC) Rocket Propulsion Lab (RPL), broke a 20-year record.

Aftershock II Launch Details

• Launched on October 20, 2024, from Nevada's Black Rock Desert.
• Reached an altitude of 470,000 feet (143.3 km).
• Broke the previous amateur rocket altitude record of 380,000 feet (115.8 km) set by the Civilian Space eXploration Team's GoFast rocket in 2004 by 90,000 feet (27.4 km).

Aftershock II Speed and Design

• The rocket is 14 feet (4 m) tall
• Broke the sound barrier within two seconds of launch.
• Achieved a maximum speed of 3,600 mph (5,800 km/h), which is 5.5 times the speed of sound, 19 seconds after launch, slightly exceeding GoFast's speed record.
• Continued its ascent after the engine burned out shortly after launch.
• Exited Earth's atmosphere approximately 85 seconds after launch.
• Reached its peak altitude in 92 seconds, after which the nose cone detached and deployed a parachute for landing.

Technological Innovations

• The success of Aftershock II is largely due to technological innovations developed by the 100-person team at RPL.
• Titanium-coated fins and new heat-resistant paint allowed the rocket to withstand extreme temperatures at high speeds.
• Student-designed computer systems enabled real-time tracking and live data transmission during the flight.

Student Perspectives

• Operations Lead Jayna Rybner highlighted the extraordinary nature of the achievement, considering the team's regular student responsibilities.

RPL Background

• RPL was founded in 2005 with the goal of launching student-designed and built rockets into space.
• In 2019, RPL's Traveler IV rocket was the first student-built rocket to cross the Kármán line, the internationally recognized edge of space at 328,083 feet (100 km) above Earth.

Future Plans for RPL

• RPL plans to focus on developing "sounding" rockets for carrying scientific instruments into space for research.
• They are aiming to stay within the amateur rocketry limit of 490,000 feet to avoid needing special clearances.
• RPL Executive Engineer Ryan Kraemer mentioned the team's excitement to use sounding rockets to gather data for research purposes.

The Aftershock II rocket, designed by USC students, reached 470,000 feet, breaking a 20-year amateur rocket altitude record. It reached a maximum speed of 3,600 mph (5.5 times the speed of sound). The rocket exited Earth's atmosphere approximately 85 seconds after launch.