First reusable hybrid rocket RHUMI launched by Tamil Nadu space startup

Tamil Nadu-based startup Space Zone India on Saturday launched its first reusable hybrid rocket, Mission RHUMI-2024, onboard a mobile platform to take up research on global warming and climate change.

City-headquartered Space Zone India has been conducting various projects under Mission RHUMI over the last two years.

The RHUMI rocket launched early in the day at Thiruvidanthai on the scenic East Coast Road near Chennai is powered by a generic-fuel-based hybrid motor and electrically triggered parachute deployer.

"It is 3.5 metre tall rocket and was launched at about 7.25 am from the earlier 7am lift off schedule," Space Zone India Founder-CEO Anand Megalingam said.

"It is more of a sounding rocket. It flew to an altitude of about 35 kms and right now my team is there to collect it as per our plan (since it is a reusable rocket)," he told PTI.

"Compared to an 89 degree inclination, we had launched the rocket with 70 degree inclination due to heavy wind and gusts," he explained on t