US Army students’ hypersonic rocket smashes altitude record with 93-mile flight
This success helps the SPEAR program train future Army leaders in space and hypersonic warfare.
A team of eight cadets from the US Military Academy’s Space Engineering and Applied Research (SPEAR) program has launched a tactical orbital rocket at hypersonic speeds.
The rocket, launched from Black Rock Playa in Nevada, reached an altitude of 149.556 kilometers (93 miles), a historic milestone in space exploration and engineering education.
It also broke the amateur rocketry altitude record by six kilometers, crossing the Karman Line, the official boundary of space.
The team worked closely with mentors from the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Aviation and Missile Center.
Smashing altitude record
According to a press release by the US Army, on January 11, 2025, the SPEAR Hypersonic Rocket Team executed a precision launch that penetrated the boundary of space.
A two-stage tactical hypersonic vehicle ascended 149.556 kilometers, eclipsing the amateur rocketry altitude record by six kilometers and breaching the internationally recognized Kármán Line at 100 km.
The mission involved completing a long-term engineering project. The cadets designed, built, and launched a hypersonic platform to reach low space altitudes and ensure safe recovery.
This success helps the SPEAR program train future Army leaders in space and hypersonic warfare.
Established in 2018 as a cadet-led initiative, SPEAR is now among the nation’s most advanced undergraduate rocketry programs.