USC Student Rocket Group Shatters International Amateur Space Record

Engineering Students Send Rocket to Record-Breaking Height

Palmetto Rocket Team Breaks Existing Record by Nearly 50,000 Feet

Palmetto Rocket Team, a student-run aerospace engineering group from the University of Southern California, has broken the international altitude record for amateur liquid-propellant rockets at the Spaceport America Cup.

On June 22, 2023, the team's rocket, named VEX, reached an altitude of 264,962 feet, surpassing the previous record of 217,375 feet set by a German team in 2019.

The Palmetto Rocket Team's achievement is a testament to the ingenuity and hard work of its student members. The team, which has been competing in the Spaceport America Cup since 2017, spent the past year designing, building, and testing VEX.

The Spaceport America Cup is an annual competition that challenges university students to design, build, and launch rockets that can reach the highest altitude.

The competition is divided into two categories: amateur and professional. The amateur category is open to students who have not yet graduated from college. The professional category is open to professional engineers and scientists.

The Palmetto Rocket Team's victory is a significant achievement for the university and for the field of aerospace engineering.

The team's success is a testament to the quality of education and support that USC provides to its students. It is also a sign of the growing interest in space exploration among young people.

The Palmetto Rocket Team's achievement is a reminder that anything is possible with hard work and dedication. It is a victory that will inspire future generations of engineers and scientists to dream big and pursue their passions.