Aftershock II, the latest rocket designed and built by the student-run USC Rocket Propulsion Lab (USCRPL) at the University of Southern California (USC), has broken the international civilian-built rocket altitude record – reaching further into space than any non-governmental and non-commercial group has ever flown before. Aftershock II officially became the highest and fastest civilian-built rocket of all time following its successful launch to space on October 20, 2024. A post-flight internal data review concluded that the rocket achieved a world-record altitude of 470,400 feet and a top speed of 5283 feet per second (Mach 5.5).