Mission Rhumi 2024 launch in East Coast Road, Chennai
| Photo Credit: Johan Sathyadas

Satrajit Samy clapped and cheered as Mission Rhumi 2024 took off in Thiruvidanthai in Chennai’s scenic East Coast Road.

Satrajit had come all the way from Dubai for this momentous occasion. It might have lasted just a few seconds or so, but the event was, in this 13-year-old’s words, “exhilarating”.

He was part of the ‘Edutech for Space’ programme that worked on Mission Rhumi for more than a year. So were many other space-crazy children; for, Mission Rhumi – launched in Chennai on August 24 – is India’s first reusable hybrid rocket on a mobile launchpad.

An initiative of Space Zone India and Martin Group, Rhumi-1 carried three cube satellites designed to monitor and collect data on atmospheric conditions. The rocket also deployed 50 different Pico satellites, each dedicated to studying various aspects of atmospheric conditions.

At the helm of things was mission mentor Mylswamy Annadurai, former ISRO scientist and affectionately called the ‘moon man of India’, who said, “Till now, only Elon Musk was doing a reusable launch vehicle but today, we have demonstrated it right here in Chennai. What we witnessed today is almost like the rocket launches at Sriharikota. Rocket science can be taught in schools too because there are many opportunities here. Like how Chennai’s schools throw up champions in sports, music and arts, rocket scientists can be honed too.”

Weighing about 80 kilograms and 3.5 metres tall, the single-piece Rhumi-1 rocket combines the advantages of both liquid oxidiser and solid fuel propellant systems, making it a milestone in aerospace technology, he added. The mobile launch system allows scientists to adapt to various launch scenarios with ease from any location. Explained Anand Megalingam, Founder and CEO of Space Zone India, “By introducing a reusable hybrid rocket, we are not only reducing the financial burden of space exploration but minimising its environmental impact.”

Mission Rhumi has another goal: awareness about rocket science among students. Satrajit, for instance, underwent online classes on orbits and planets, before heading to BITS Pilani for a hands-on session with satellites. He says, “It was amazing to know that whatever I had in my hand was probably going to be in space somewhere. With this rocket being made in such a cost-effective manner, who knows, the day that children can build rockets with our own allowance is not far away.”

India launched its first reusable hybrid rocket ‘RHUMI- 1’, developed by the Tamil Nadu-based start-up Space Zone India with Martin Group, from Thiruvidandhai in Chennai on Saturday (August 24, 2024).

The rocket, carrying 3 Cube Satellites and 50 PICO Satellites, was launched into a suborbital trajectory using a mobile launcher. These satellites will be collecting data for research purposes on Global warming and Climate change.

The RHUMI Rocket is equipped with a generic-fuel-based hybrid motor and electrically triggered parachute deployer, RHUMI is 100% pyrotechnic-free and 0% TNT.

The mission RHUMI is led by Anand Megalingam, the founder of the Space Zone, under the mentorship of Dr. Mylswamy Annadurai Former Director of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC).

The RHUMI-1 rocket combines the advantages of both liquid and solid fuel propellant systems to improve efficiency and reduce operational costs.

Space Zone India is an aero-technology company in Chennai that aims to provide low-cost, long-term solutions in the space industry. Space Zone India (SZI) provides hands-on training experience on Aerodynamic principles, Satellite Technology, Drone Technology and Rocket Technology. It also creates awareness of the career options in this industry.

SZI works with Private institutions, Engineering and Art and Science colleges, and Private and Government schools. In 2023, through mission ‘Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam Students Satellite Launch – In 2023’ over 2,500 students from government, tribal, and public schools across the country, contributed to designing and constructing a student satellite launch vehicle. The vehicle could carry a payload of 150 Pico Satellites research experiment cubes.