ARIZONA CAMPUS
Over the next 113 days, the team rebuilt the pressure system, reinforced structures, refined propulsion and developed a more robust recovery mechanism. Faculty, alumni and sponsors — including Blue Origin, Relativity, Collins Aerospace and SpaceX — rallied behind them. On March 16, Deneb-2 was ready. Holt pressed the launch button, and the rocket lifted skyward, reaching Mach 1.3 before deploying its parachute at 21,000 feet. An in-flight anomaly had turned it sideways, reducing thrust and cutting the flight short of the record — but not the victory. “After all the blood, sweat and tears we put into this, when it goes up, that feeling is amazing,” Wood said. “The moment we see it fly, all the tears come out!” Although Deneb-2 didn’t beat the team’s previous altitude record, its journey told a different story — one of resilience, teamwork and determination. In less than four months, the students transformed a devastating setback into a successful launch. The rocket may not have reached 100,000 feet, but it did something just as important: it proved that when faced with failure, the RDL can rebuild, adapt and still fly.
THE ANATOMY OF ASCENT
BUILD TIME 113 Days – Post Explosion
MISSION OBJECTIVE Achieve a Target Altitude of 100,000 ft and Execute a Successful Recovery
HEIGHT 22.5 ft / 6.8 m
WEIGHT 168 lbs / 76.2 kg
PROPULSION TYPE 2,000 lbf Kerosene and Liquid Oxygen Engine
MAX ALTITUDE 21,000 ft / 6,400 m
TOP SPEED Mach 1.3
MATERIAL CONSTRUCTION Fiberglass, Aluminum, Carbon Fiber
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