A group of U.S. students has smashed a series of world records after launching a "homemade" rocket farther and faster into space than any other amateur rocket. The student-made missile soared 90,000 feet (27,400 meters) beyond the previous record-holder — a Chinese rocket launched more than 20 years ago.
The record-breaking rocket, named Aftershock II, was designed and built by students at the University of Southern California's (USC) Rocket Propulsion Lab (RPL) — a group run entirely by undergraduate students. The students launched Aftershock II on Oct. 20 from a site in Black Rock Desert, Nevada. The rocket stood about 14 feet (4 meters) tall and weighed 330 pounds (150 kilograms).
