Reuters — A rocket, designed and manufactured by students from the University of Southern California’s Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, reached an altitude of 144,000 feet (43,891 meters) – a height the group says is a record for a rocket wholly engineered and built by students.
Launched on March 04 from Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, the rocket, called Fathom II, took roughly three months to manufacture. Its launch marked a milestone in the unofficial ‘space race’ between the rocket clubs of various universities worldwide, where students must not only build and design their own rockets from the ground up, but also recover them intact following their launches.
The USC rocket was designed as a research tool for the group’s next, and ultimate, goal – reaching the Karman line, which at 330,000 feet (100584 meters), marks the boundary between space and Earth. They hope to launch that rocket later this year.