A
group of undergraduates from the University of Southern California
(USC) have announced the launch of what is likely the first-ever student
designed and built rocket to pass the Kármán line into outer space.
Internal
analysis of the system of the student's rocket Traveler IV shows that
the vehicle reached an altitude of 340,000 feet with a margin of error
of +/- 16,800 feet.
“We can say with 90 percent certainty that RPL’s latest spaceshot,
Traveler IV, passed the Kármán line, the recognized boundary between the
Earth’s atmosphere and space,” said Neil Tewskbury, lead operations
officer at RPL.
The students launched their rocket on April 21
at 7:30 AM local time from New Mexico's Spaceport America reaching a top
speed of 3,386 mph (5,449 km/hr). Traveler IV rapidly accelerated at
over 17g's over the course of its 11.5 second motor burn, then cruised
the remaining 140 seconds before reaching its maximum altitude.
RPL's
avionics system is custom-designed and built by RPL's team of over 80
undergraduates. This system allowed for the recording of the flight
using its onboard sensors and the deployment of the vehicle's parachutes
at apogee.
Looking forward, RPL has set its sights on its
next mission: a liquid-fuelled rocket that will shatter its own
respective world record. In addition, conceptual work has begun on
ambitious projects such as CubeSat deployment, active rocket
stabilization and new solid engine designs.
Read more about this story at the following links:
Image Credit: Neil Tewksbury/USC
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