Truck Driver's Son Launched India's First Reusable Hybrid Rocket From Chennai

When Anand Megalingam failed in all subjects during the first semester of his electrical and electronic engineering degree, little did he know that he would soon become the man behind the country’s first reusable hybrid rocket using the mobile launch pad.

Anand came from a humble background - his father was a truck driver and his mother was a homemaker.

After failing at engineering the first time, he used his excellence at sports to secure a spot in a private college where he began studying Aeronautical Engineering.

And it turned the tables of his life!

There was no end to how much the subject intrigued him.

Hundreds of successful contests, prizes, and awards later - Anand knew it was time to start something of his own.

He launched Space Zone India, a startup based in Tamil Nadu, to manufacture and sell eco-friendly rockets and also help young Indian students find a forum where they can deep dive into space technology academics.

Anand made his father a 50% stakeholder in the company - as an ode to the struggles he went through to educate him.

Over time, the startup attained a valuation of Rs 800 crore - with the Indian Government, ISRO, and CSR organizations supporting it.

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MISSION RHUMI-2024

Anand Megalingam, along with his highly experienced team, launched India’s first reusable hybrid rocket using a mobile launch pad on 24th August 2024.

The successful launch took place in the coastal village of Thiruvadanthai in Tamil Nadu.

In an exclusive interview with Startup Pedia, Dr Anand Megaligam said, “We began working on RHUMI in January 2023. The road was definitely not easy - we were operating on very tight deadlines and limited funding.”

When Space Zone India started working on RHUMI, the plan was very clear - the team wanted to launch a rocket in space that could monitor and gather data on atmospheric conditions.

According to Anand, climate change is something that needs to be studied thoroughly to even start making measures to combat it. “Space tech has a huge role to play here,” he says.

The team went through many regulatory hurdles and the first few prototypes didn’t work out at all.

In response, the team behind RHUMI conducted a detailed analysis of the failures and then designed solutions to improve the form and functionality of the rocket.

While it took 6 weeks for the final rocket to finish, the mobile component required an additional six months of manufacturing.

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THE LAUNCH

The group first fixed the accurate coordinates - and then obtained permissions from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in Delhi, Air Force, Airport Authority of India. 

In the same interview, Anand Megalingam revealed that he got all the necessary approvals from the Government bodies exactly one week before the scheduled launch date of 24th August 2024.

The launch was watched by 5,000 students, numerous Government officials, and state bodies.

RHUMI carried 3 Cube Satellites and 50 PICO Satellites at a maximum altitude from the mean sea level. The CUBE satellites are loaded with capabilities to collect data about atmospheric aspects like cosmic radiation intensity, UV radiation, and air quality.

On the other hand, the PICO satellites record factors like accelerometer readings, ozone levels, and altitude, All of this combined, and RHUMI becomes the perfect rocket to help us understand environmental dynamics on a deeper, more specific level.

Talking to Startup Pedia, Anand Megalingam said, ‘I was in-charge of the entire process - and I couldn't afford for anything to go wrong. When I pressed the ignition button, there was a 4-second delay in the launch. These 4 seconds were probably the longest 4 seconds of my life. I remember that the entire year, my team, the Government, and everyone’s hopes flashed before my eyes.”

“But of course, we had triple-checked everything till the last minute - so RHUMI launched smoothly. And we created history,” he adds.