New Delhi: Tamil Nadu-based startup Space Zone, in collaboration with the Martin Group on Saturday successfully launched India’s first reusable hybrid rocket ‘RHUMI-1’.

RHUMI-1, carrying 3 Cube satellites and 50 PICO satellites was launched to a suborbital trajectory from the TTDC Ground in Thiruvidandhai, ECR, Chennai using a mobile launcher, the company said.

The satellites aim to collect data for research purposes on global warming and climate change.

Equipped with a generic-fuel-based hybrid motor and electrically triggered parachute deployer, the rocket is 100 per cent pyrotechnic-free and 0 per cent TNT.

“The demand for small satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is increasing in India,” said Anand Megalingam, founder and CEO of Space Zone, in a company blog post, before the launch.

This, he said, prompted “the company to focus on capturing the small satellite market while employing a Hybrid Propulsion system to ensure cost-effectiveness”.

Mission RHUMI was led by Dr. Mylswamy Annadurai, The Moon Man of India, Former Director ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), and Megalingam as its Mission Director.

Other key features of RHUMI-1 include its angle, which can be fine-tuned from 0 to 120 degrees, allowing precise trajectory control.

The company also built an innovative, cost-effective, and eco-friendly descent mechanism that will ensure the safe recovery of rocket components.