Founded in 2020, Space Zone India is a Tamil Nadu-based space technology startup that manufactures and sells cost-effective rockets.
Space Zone India was founded by Anand Megalingam.
When Anand 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.
He 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 which interested him.
Hundreds of successful contests, prizes, and awards later - Anand launched Space Zone India, a startup based in Tamil Nadu, to manufacture and sell eco-friendly rockets.
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.”
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.
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