Undergraduate students from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in California broke records with their rocket. The team could fly it higher than the tallest mountain in the world - Mount Everest.

Amateur Rocket Soar Higher Than Mount Everest

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students launched a miniature rocket on April 16 to a height of 47,732 feet (14,548 meters), roughly 1.6 times higher than Everest, which is 29,032 feet (8,849 m) high. The performance also more than doubled the previous record of 22,000 feet (6,706 m), which was set by amateur undergraduate and collegiate athletes in the United States, Space.com reported.

Dalton Songer, a student, was emotional after witnessing the success of their rocket named Deneb as he reflected on the 4,000 hours of labor that went into its creation, testing, and launching. In a statement released on May 11, he said that it was an "incredible feat" and watching it take off was reportedly the "most exhilarating moment" of his life.

According to Songer, everyone hugged together in celebration when they saw Deneb burn further. That moment was unique as it only occurs when a committed group of people get together and achieve something extraordinary despite all odds.

According to Elliott Bryner, the director of Embry-Riddle's propulsion laboratory and rocket test facility, some graduating students from the team have already been accepted for full-time jobs at space companies, including SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Firefly Aerospace. He has been working with them over the past four years and praised them for being amazing engineers.

Through the Rocket Development Lab (RDL), a student organization promoting rocketry and hands-on experience at Embry-Riddle, other students gave 3,000 hours to the project.

Zoe Brand, a team member who tested Deneb's engine, said they learned a lot from the rocket. Deneb is a predecessor of Altair, which Brand said was too heavy, so they designed the recent one to be lighter by integrating the propellant tanks into the rocket's structure.

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Deneb Breaks Record

The Californian Mojave Desert launch isn't the highest amateur effort ever; earlier attempts have gone as far as what is regarded as space itself (approximately 62 miles or 100 kilometers). For instance, a University of Southern California undergraduate team in 2019 likely set a record for students when they launched their Traveler IV booster past the Kármán line, according to officials.

However, the Embry-Riddle students excelled in their category (undergraduate liquid-fueled rocket launch). The rocket quickly passed the sound barrier at 26.1 seconds, reaching Mach 1.5 (1,150 mph or 1,850 kph). It took three failed launch attempts to achieve it, forcing the team to have an additional night of camping in the desert.

According to Rocket Development Lab, Deneb breaks record as the world record for the highest undergraduate, collegiate, and amateur liquid rocket flow. The team behind it is dubbed Cygnus Suborbitals, and they support the Mountain Spirit initiative.

The Mountain Spirit program aims to advance rocketry on campus and instruct undergrads in the Rocket Development Lab through practical experiences.

Deneb departed the launch pad at 9:42 a.m. PDT on April 16, 2023, breaking the previous record of 22,000 feet.

The team successfully launched the rocket three times before they left to search for it in the Mojave Desert. Unfortunately, the rocket was not found, but the team is committed to sharing what they have learned to advance the Mountain Spirit program and the Rocket Development Lab in the future.

The Mountain Spirit program will employ what it learned from this experience and the Cygnus team's expertise to develop the next liquid flight vehicle.

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