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[00:01:00] Gnana Gandhi: satellites.

My name is retired from Indian spaces at organization. I complete my engineering in 1968. Well, those days it is very difficult to get your job. And finally, I could apply for the assessed TC today. It is called via VSOC those days. It is called the Asus TC. I got that. Uh, later, only I came to know in my interview board, Dr.

Callum and

Mr. . They were older that still, I remember, uh, one of the question asked by Dr. Calum, he asked a radius needs to, to off what maybe my lucky number is four. I said four, I got selected. So I entered into. Uh, yes, as TC, there are very few divisions. One division is called the propulsion, which is headed by [00:02:00] Dr.

So maybe I was the fifth or sixth man. So you are maybe knowing those things. Uh, some of the place in near Toomba it is get it, got it from the fraternal man community. They were sent to some other place. So I got a small tiled house to work. Initially those days there is no big buildings and other things.

Very interesting. Uh, generally they in, um, catalog, they used to call . It is like a ghost house. So they have given me a small. Mixture. And I'm supposed to start with the mixing solid drug kit. And at that time, the best fuel available in catalyze the rubber. So we used to go to the far side and collect the rubber and come back and mix with the ammonium perchlorate on three Dom was the chemical engineer who was formulate the composition and myself and [00:03:00] John.

We used to mix and you could. The size of the motor is only 50 diameter and 200 millimeter length, maybe about a 200 gram. I used to fill with your cylindrical, uh, mandrill. I used to put it in the oven and, uh, later I will open it. Well, you, every time there was a lot of blow holes. So as a young engineer, I thought is blow.

Holes are not good for the solid rocket. So next time I put it to plate and bolted it and put it in now. Well, it was lightly in the near the beach side. So lunchtime, I would walk a kilometer for the canteen. So I said all the two or three technicians. So he said, okay, come on, let us go for lunch. We would walk you believe it or not.

Within 10 minutes, when we walk, there was a big explosion. So that one was. So immediately moved. He was the director of the tours and he came [00:04:00] and the big inquiry and what luck, so many things happen. So that was my first, uh, explosion. Of course I am very notorious for exploding, many rockets and. Maybe because of that towards my carrier, end up my carrier.

They made me liquid propulsion safety officer also, but still I didn't stop. I used to blast it many motels. Well, then I was asked to do very interesting job is called charging. That is the proper line grind has to be loaded inside the rocket and fix the nozzle and other things. Risky, but, well, it is very interesting those days for young men to do so.

At that time, the projects were already 75 or a hundred or 200 or it's 300 and audit five 60. C Y you may call why seventy five hundred and one twenty five then near a still industrial town to try. And drum is not clump. There was the extruded aluminum [00:05:00] extrusion company. They have a dye for seventy five hundred and one twenty five.

So what are the two bioavailable? And bring it and make the proper line and to load it inside. So maybe and all those things will apply and then we'll push it and put the nozzle and fins and other things. The moment the rocket leaves the launch here, there's a great success for us. It is not nothing AB never be taught, whether it is going into the altitude or anything, because that is the time we learn a lot of things, how to do solid rocket motor.

So. Maybe I am the love, the luckiest man. I worked from Sarah. And Darwin and like that. So Salah by was there at that time. So when we made the order to 75 and after so many development tests, we kept it in the launch yet. I think maybe Dr. and myself, and, uh, we were all standing. Believe it or not on the launch pad [00:06:00] itself, the artist 75 exploded.

So next time like that there are many. Even manifold was Columbia project. And once I think it took off and immediately plunged into the sea. So we thought this is over you. Believe it or not. Within few seconds, again, it came up from the sea. So we thought Marika is dancing for Calum. So that's the kind of thing we made those days, but she failure each incident.

Why it went to plunge in the sea, maybe the guide, you know, we put aluminum, but the rail is stainless steel. So the harness difference with the minor misalignment, it could catch and then it dived inside. So like that. So many small, small things we tried to learn. So we did a . I would have my boss, Dr. AAM, a very good one to stage and we flight tested many numbers, chaff we'll go and all those things and very nicely we started you.

Believe it or not [00:07:00] night and day, we used to work. That is a kind of. We learned at that time itself, maybe some small, small things like heaps. So we call it right. Or motels and other things. Also we did, and even I had taken one of the red tomatoes to, uh, And we attached with 24 and a one day earlier, if I'm correct.

Cullen was the leader for the project. So as usual, I used to talk a little more. So I said, who is the, I don't know, who is the unfortunate pilot who is going to sit onto the 24? It in few seconds, somebody tapped one, Sandra, you are standing. I am the man. I am willing to sit through tomorrow on the aircraft.

Then I said, no, my rocket is very good. I've done so many tests. It is fantastic. And he said, okay, we will see tomorrow. You believe it. Next day, without runway, the aircraft was taking very nicely. That is a fast, good success I could see and we [00:08:00] enjoyed, we will come back. So solid mortar got more and more and more interesting.

So we started with, uh, SLV. So at that time, first stage, second stage, third stage, it was given to different, no group, like first stage was with the second stage was with the raw like that. Bumper Garcia was there, then they thought it is not going smooth. So they made Columbus, their director of sorry, project director for Sylvie.

So they started working on that. And one of the very good incident is the fourth stage only faster they started casting. So instead of charging directly, the propellant has to be cast on the water case. Initially they made a very thick wall mortar casing to learn the blasting of the proper land burn rate and all those things.

So they made it a very tic casing and they made it after the casting. They removed the mandrill again, the same old problem. That was a very big. [00:09:00] So they don't know what to do. So Dr. Samuelson was in charge for that. So he came and asked me on the IO to save the hardware. Can you remove the propellant? You believe it or not?

You can only put the hand through the throat. So. I helped with the technicians. So we sat and we discussed and nicely, they put the blade inside and remove the propellant and slowly everything. And one fine morning, we separated into two offs and remove the proper land. I called Calum and my boss and everybody has come.

They appreciated like anything next today, again, morning eight o'clock I came and I gave some instruction. By that time, some telephone rang. You believe it or not, the whole building got burnt and inside a hell, lot of small, small rockets, all fired, left, and right. That was the biggest accident in front of me.

I taught some of the technician might have perished, but luckily they escaped and I [00:10:00] asked them to do the. Slightly on the edge of the door, near the door. So they could escape from that place. So then again, big committees and I cried, then they said, okay, if you want, if you are doing your work, definitely there will be a mistake, but you should not afraid of those things.

You continue to do the work. So that is the kind of stint I got to work and it was around 1973 hours, 74 time. And the boss, Dr. . Started. Yeah. Liquid propulsion walk with the 600 kg using a white fuming nitric acid, and Dannielynn as the fuel we started, uh, with, um, at that time, what I'm going to Snyder is the man for starting the liquid propulsion site.

So with the children and they started the work. We are small test and that also might not accident happen. Somebody burned the finger. Also after I see there's fallen and all such things are happening [00:11:00] at that time, he had a very good, uh, So Matana, I haven't been to France. And at that time, the yellow project was not in very good shape because you may maybe knowing almost like 13 flights they contacted.

The first stage is built by UK. Second stages by France. Third stage is by Germany, four stages by Italy and the flight tested at Australia. All the 13 flights. And even once they didn't put the igniter in the fourth stage, that is the kind of work. So they fought each other and they stopped that whole project.

And finally, the French people, they took the lead, they started the program Arianne program today. What you are seeing Eddie on 5 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. So those people, they said, we want some technical engineers from your side. You, we will give you technology for the transducer today. One of the best it translates that we call it 21 and there's two they are making today [00:12:00] also.

So they said, we will give you manufacture that your place. We will give you the technology. We will give the missionaries you produce at your place and you 10,000 transducers. In addition to that, you give a hundred man X to work in our program. There is no money transaction, so happy leaving. So some of the people, they went for transducer technology to acquire and they will come back and they started PTU trance.

Is that unit in Bangalore? So parallelly, we started about a hundred men here. They selected to go and work with Aryan program in UCP, in France. So luckily I am also one of the. Joined in the team I reached, but that you may be knowing if the more than two years, the government permitted to take the family also.

So I took my young wife and we reached that and we stayed in Vermont near well only one village is called syndrome. I stayed there for two years. Maybe that is a [00:13:00] turning point for me. I learned a lot and I will say after the second world war, uh, you know, many engineered sweater volunteers, and some of the technicians went to Russia and very few people, they come to France.

So. Lucky enough to work under own. Mr. . He was there in the V2 program. So we, I learned a lot, I will say, what is turbo pump? What is turbo missionary, how the injector works? What is the higher trust engines and what is the UDM much? What is into for mixture? Ratio control? So many things I learned. Night and day, and maybe we ought to attend office regular office in ACP after a evening mixed letter.

Let me not in was the head of the whole team. So night again, we will meet and what we learned and we would write notes and all that. Okay, take a program. So we worked, uh, some of them, they stayed, I stayed for two years and come back and [00:14:00] again, they asked me to go there for another 8, 8, 9 months and stayed there and they learned a lot, I would say, after we come back here, we started realizing that.

He did the engineer's called Viking in France in area and program you area one, two, three, but we call it because, so we want to indigenous the whole thing in India. So I have been assigned with a conservation Auden. He's the fabrication chief. I was the number two. I was the deputy to him. Well, it was, you know, we were always on the rails, in the train, going to Bombay and AMBA and all these places to realize the hardware that is a job is given to me.

So after studying a lot of theory, I started learning what is say. How to make KCT don't TWN is the material for the divergent, which is a super light, which, you know, you may be knowing stainless steel. If you hit more than find [00:15:00] a degree that a student will come down very fast, but some of the material three tens, the stent that is called Superfly, maybe you might hear about in column someone lineate and kind of thing.

So this a lie, the indigenized in middle. And we initially we important. So if I'm correct the first, uh, trust chamber, we made it in pony, all follower. So I was going there and they sitting with them and fabricating the trust chamber and the turbo pump door. Totally. We fabricated INCOSE first number, not later, we are given to MTR in Hyderabad.

They are the people. Very good. Maybe some of you may be knowing when Mr. is a genius in mentioning of the components. Another thing of course is no more and he's the, my good friend also. So he only realized later all the turbo pump and trust chamber was given to Godridge, uh, Mumbai. They are the good fabricators of stainless steel and they're good allies.

So the trust chamber was fabricated that [00:16:00] the first team. I think along with me on John

and so many engineers are saying to me with the DM condition. So we all sit and, you know, did the work those days? There is no five-axis machine. We have only. Copying machine. So yeah, especially the impulse inputs for the pump we are done with your copying. So the pencil will move here. The cutter will move here.

That is a mission we important. Now today, of course you have gone for access. Now you have gone to 3d printing. So, so many, I don't take this out there in front of you, but those days, these toggled. So the first engine I built in. Bangalore. Yeah, some bird and you are all came and you was very happy. And at that time, this facility at my end, really just to start it and, uh, construction was going on.

So we want to do that test. So myself and of course, all of, you know, he was [00:17:00] at that time, he was the secretary for. Uh, you throw so my self station and our boss said Dr. Chandra. And before we went again to France and discuss with the ASCP, can you test out the engine in their place? So they said, first we will come and visit and see the quality of your hardware.

They're big team. And I was accompanying them to all the industries. After seeing that desert, please bring, we are ready to test your engine. That is the quality we maintain. So we took the engine and fired and, uh, two groups, we went first to group. I was there and we conducted that test. I am the way it was a very grand success and we will come back.

And my end of the day, again, we started testing today. All of you know, that PSLV second stage and mark to strap on. And the mark three core all is powered by the cussing G. So I am very happy to tell that I am also part of a party to develop those days around when. Complete the [00:18:00] production installation started and my boss asked him, well, don't do change.

You are around curriculum to change to cryo. Well, I don't know much about at that time there was a study team in VSOC headed by. Mr. so they said that team will be coming to LPAC our liquid propulsion team. So I was also attached with, so Mr. Number three was the group director. I was the group head, uh, with me, Mr.

Gauche and Sudan. And uh, many people were that Lara Ryan. And today he's the director of LPAC. They were all with me. So we started the cryoprobe. So very interestingly has started. So as usual, what I was doing in solid with your small mortar, I started with the seed element using gaseous oxygen and gaseous hydrogen.

And you know, that it is not in hypergolic hypergolic means the fuel and oxygen is that if you touch it will burn because [00:19:00] of the exothermic reaction, but hydrogen and oxygen, you require to initiate the ignition. So initially I didn't get properly. You're going to ignition. So people started making fun of me also.

Then I tried to, I tell you a lot, bring some, you know, uh, electric, uh, system they're using in the aircraft and all those things. Finally, I could get the flame. Then everybody said, oh, this is only gaseous water in gaseous form. Even oxy-acetylene the state do, maybe seeing a better flame. Cradle then next I reached the clump.

That is the industrial town. They have a British in limiter that they have electrification plant. They have oxygen plant. So I reached that. I asked Gary how liquid oxygen and nobody answered properly. Finally, one man said, you please sit here. So I was sitting after some time he brought in a wooden gage with their double wall.

There's two blue. FaceTime in my life. I am seeing what is [00:20:00] liquid oxygen. So I was thrilled. So immediately asked, can you give some 50 kg? And he said, man, you don't know anything about cryo. It is not possible to carry. So you are supposed to, you know, make a dang installation and all those things and what to do.

He's this fellow is next to door. You go out immediately fabricate some 5,000 liter tank. Well in you throw that is very good. You can act as a director also some time. So I went and placed the order and later I went and told please victim and say, fine. This is only for our office. That's the kind of, you know, it's not like a government more than private to a care I can sell it.

So that is a sprit that low, a lot of work progress was there. So we made the thing and I bring the liquid oxygen. And with the gaseous hydrogen, I fired no ignition. Then also people said, eh, what is this? What is going on in cradle? And finally, a blue flame game. Then everybody a little bit appreciated.

Then they said, [00:21:00] still it is not fruit cloud, liquid, hydrogen. Your to make that is hydrogen. Hydrogen is starting the air. Either you split water or you split the hydrocarbon. So what could. So maybe at that time, people really know his role. So everybody inputs a lot of things. So I talked to allocate, all of my friend was there.

Hey, whatever they do some hydrogen for me, how much you want 5,000 liter. No problem. When the time comes to Chennai, the tanker will be empty. That. Because the everyday, till they operate, so you will not get nothing. So what you do, you said you put up your plant in your own place. So luckily, maybe you are all in my director, they have a soft kind of, for me, a 16 core project, three project was approved.

They asked me to start a small hydrogen plant. So I put up today in my energy distilled that it's called the mini hydrogen. So we use a helium as that refrigerant and cooler [00:22:00] hydrogen to that lowest temperature. But of course, I didn't see the liquid hydrogen is very difficult to see. So the temperature source 22 Kelvin.

So I assume, okay, this is a liquid hydrogen is there. So. So in pressure mode, if you want to fire, you require, there are no double wall, like a flask, a metal container with a high pressure in India. At that time it was not available. So again, I put here, this thing messes Grissom and they are liquid. I feel great.

They quartered and finally as usual, okay. Government basis, where do we negotiate and bring down the place. Then I asked him, Mrs. Glieson. Why don't you come here? I want to negotiate that flows. No, I will not. Y well in India, in roads, elephants and snakes are that I don't want to come to. Yeah. That is the answer you gave.

And finally, some will manage you please land in Mumbai. I will come to Mumbai. We will discuss all we discuss. Then he asked the final question. What are we going to do with this time? Well, I want to fire off. And he smiled. [00:23:00] And he said, Mr. Gandhi, I have seen last year, some dose of a lot. And somebody in the near this thing, even if you're poor, this one, the sound you might have heard, the liquid hydrogen is two minus, two 50 degrees Celsius.

When it enters to limited it it'll boil off and it will go. How do you know the propellant is liquid form inside? Good question. I don't know. So he says you require a level sensor. We don't do provide. I asked no, no, no. It is very costly. If any change then a government procedure. Again, I have to go to. So many of these things, and I asked him what his other yeah.

Then he said, okay, maybe you looks like with mine, I will provide your neon trap. What is neon trap? He says, I have pride in yarn in, yes, small this tube top when the liquid hydrogen comes to the color changes. So you load what is fantastic. And he says, okay, I will give you free of cost in that tank. After six months, that time came by the time my liquid nitrogen plant also started there.[00:24:00]

So I put, uh, by that time, the single element I converted into 19 elements with a YFC copper, with a channel, the outreach has to be made because it's a regional, relatively cool. The hydrogen cannot be directly injected. It has to take the heat and it has to become what all is in the gaseous form. So we to do what to do.

So Cari Cudi was nearby near Madre. They are like electro chemist. They have a nickel bot, so they can deposit to the. So we take that group, the channels and the put the wax. And what would that be made there? There's all of the best work. I feel we could do it at that place. Then we made that 19 in month.

One, 10 engine. I fired big explosion. Second. Oh, another big explosive as usual. Uh, the dock started running. People started throwing stones. These fellow can do this thing. I also felt very bad or they, my wife as to why he [00:25:00] was so much tension and all those things. And I said to some problem, then I taught this hydrogen is like a Maharajah.

When it comes in the line, you know, it will freeze them. Nitrogen hall, gases, freezes, nice chair, grease, everything. So it goes and blocks the filter. The moment I put dignitary blast. So if it is like a Maharajah, definitely there will be a Maharani to control. So who is the Maharani? Helium is the man. So where is he?

Very costly again, but if you want to be in the business, you will to do so. I import the helium within a month. We are very fast. We got the helium gas. We pass the line and allow the hydrogen. You believe it, or what you different test. So we are all happy and you are ours immediately. Sanctioned you go ahead with the 12, 10 engine stage.

[00:26:00] So our team goals and not everybody started jumping. So we started the work well, good or bad. And the Russians came in 92 and they said, why you are struggling so much, we will give you their technology. Of course, I also not seen Moscow. I said, yes. So finally you are all made me as the leader of the team this time.

So with 25 engineers, I landed in 93, January 16th to film, correct the temperature also minus. So we landed a good, so we went and we got a lot of experience. Maybe that is another way sometime I really explained, but it is not required. So we are in three places. I located my engineers. One is near Moscow, about 40 kilometers.

It was once generally it was one of the place where all the [00:27:00] measles and other things put on and all things are fabricated. Our Cleo engineers getting assembled and tested at that place. So that is one place. And another place is a DB salute. That is also suburban of Moscow. There they are building the stage.

So that. No other stages are all getting assembled. So I put down some 10 engineers that including bartenders Dean, and there are so many people there I put another team is, uh, most like, uh, 2000 kilometer away from Moscow in what Almonte. The place is called . So I went by train and with my team and believe it or not, the temperature on the day was minus 35.

So it is a remote village are only two people can speak English, one young lady and don't involve lady. They will come to receive me. So luckily they took me on the place to put me on. Yeah, hotel does not. The hotel is [00:28:00] a house. I have to walk few meals. When they go down from the bus say started all of a sudden some don't kids, they were running and trying to touch me.

So I was thrilled. They thought I'm so black. They thought I had come from some other place. Because the village people, they are not seen such a man. So I was very happy because in my village, even white man comes, I used to run behind him. At least he had some white girls, it started coming behind me. So finally, next today I was taken to the industry where they clearly engine was getting fabricator, fantastic place from raw material to the engine, but I was not very happy.

The sense, some of the places they put the pole in and they closed it. And some places they pushed me very fast and some place, a milling machine. And later they asked me to stand for hours. I don't require that kind of technology. So I felt very bad. I don't know. Even for me, this is the case. If I am [00:29:00] in another two days, I had to leave how my engineers will get the technology from them.

Then a day comes next day, I'm supposed to start. They gave you a big. So, well, they, everybody started telling some toast. They asked me to give you a toast. And I said, uh, well, director, I would like to say a small story. They said, fine. You telling me in India before marriage, we are not allowed to see the girl.

Of course not, no, I'm talking 40, 50 years back. So one day my father came and he said, I'm going to take you to your house. There is a girl for you, but you cannot. And I said, if I can understand the whole way, should they come? No, it is only formality. You come and go. I said, fine. So I ran that on SAC. You believe it or not?

The girl's commander. All of a sudden left. I was seen little bit a year and nose and some lips. That's all I seen by the time the girl vanished marriage was after 102 days. Yeah. But it day night I used to decorate her face. How she will look. [00:30:00] 'cause minimum lesson, same thing here. You're showing me here and deadly people.

I don't know what you are doing in this place, so you didn't leave the direct wild, easily holidays. White fellow years become very dish. What is happening here later? He started choking

When are you going tomorrow morning? Cancel your ticket is a diamond would all mountains. when you go back very difficult. Not at all. I can decide whatever I want. You can say I can sit next day. You believe it or not all are open. Yeah. Everything was. So I used to tell my wife, you also party to my technology condition.

So that is the way I, you know, it started there. Very interesting, uh, so many interesting things happen, but I cannot tell everything. So it is like if you put your hand inside your honeypot, definitely you will put something in your [00:31:00] mouth. So what are possible, we try to take maybe geopolitical situation is not good.

I don't want to mention which country and other thing there was a lot of. Ask us to go out. So we planned to go for one year, maybe around the 10th month, they said, Gandhi, you can leave. So Roland Sans was the ambassador and I ought to say a few words about him is one of the best ambassador. Maybe many people may be there, but tyrosinase.

It's normally supposed to give you the status to our place. So generally he, they will ask me to write and send, so you will call me he himself. He'll right. He say, you dictate. I will write that is a kind of a middle man and any small problem he will. So I had a lot of issues. Everything you need. Try to solve it.

Uh, I, I really tank is a great man. He was sitting at that time. So that also asked to my, you know, technology, getting [00:32:00] to India. I will come back instead of staying or near IO literally earlier with my boss. Of course I prepared the project report with my. I know we are to prepare your cryogenic program.

So I given to project to our chairman, uh, custodian, and also in between, he came with, along with the role for how we are doing, and everybody was happy. So after they come back, they will. Government has kind enough to approve the cradle program with the 300 grower project. I was the first two project director.

So I started the work, what are have done with the one 10 and 12, 10 slightly, you know, we stopped it and we start the, whatever I got. 7.5 10, we call it cusp cryo upper stage project. Well, it is a little, uh, very complex in the [00:33:00] sense in India, if you want to join any metal wheel, think only welding, but in Russia, everybody will think one only bracing first, if it is not possible, they will go to welding and the kind of thing.

So the inner wall and outer wall is braced. I would a combustion chamber is in there is copper outreach, stainless steel. So joining is by bracing. The bracing fairness is a very big technology. I placed a pharmacy in Godridge and I have given the contract again to Godridge and the MTR MTR he had. One of the important thing is being hydrogen is a very light.

The pump has to run at 40,000 RPM. Then only you can pump the 140 bottles that to it, to, to, uh, in pallets with locks, very high, dense, small pump, it can pump it so that our RPM is so high. These rotor dynamics is a problem. You cannot play grease in the batting because at that temperature. So the [00:34:00] respective fluid has to go and cool and come out like that.

Yeah. Everything is complex. So bracing and all those things are new, new technology. So I struggled a lot. Including the cutting the channel is a helical grew varying helicases. So I have given you a contract and finally, after six months of the program, now, maybe a lot of youngsters, they are having good knowledge in programming those days.

You know, I'm talking about in, uh, in 95 and 96, so much difficulties. I faced finally that also be solved and I braced faster. Stainless steel or DSS with your rotating firmness in say the pressure of photograph 2.1 bar and in between the chamber is a vacuum. It tend to minus three. The whole thing has rotated to five RPM and the temperature is thousand 200 degrees Celsius.

So with that I abreast. So I was there in Mumbai for more than maybe one [00:35:00] month I was going and coming back. So like a baby delivery next today, or to what pan? So. first time in my life. I'm seeing stainless steel crack, like a mirror, multiple cracks. So all my team fellows, the sack, we don't know what to do.

They cannot go back to Russia because that time they said, don't worry technology transfer. So you come. So I cannot Prague. Then next to one same issue then because student or north, the chairman, at that time, he formed the national level committee where you know that a lot of advice and so many things.

Finally, we sat, we started from fundamental, soft braising, and you shoot like my solid rocket. I didn't allow the propellant to expand. I put their stamp suite exploding. The oven here. I. Do we expand? My copper is [00:36:00] expanding the chamber. I put a stopper. So it cracked, it's a liquification phenomenon. It entered and tracked.

So now we allowed almost like 10 millimeter re-expand with their stopper, flux shirts. It beautifully, it worked so like that the technology was improved and knowledge. So the first engine I built during this time, I have given many small, small contracts to. Institutes like

and , he's a cryo man. You was teaching . He helped him a lot of things like stratification studies, this, that, and other things analysis. So like that I, because the, as a leader, I have to get all the knowledge available in India to pull everything. And I was trying to do the work. Uh, very important at the time, but still there was a lot of delay.

Another thing, because the first time you are doing [00:37:00] many times, you had well faster test a student and was also there again because I used to blast, but luckily this engine didn't blast, but yeah, command line was very close to that. Divergent. It melts. So hydrogen wall was closed. So engine stopped and other things, but.

Beautifully it went. So the cryo engine was very successfully developed for India and the plant at the same time, then we went for fast with the, this one, there was. Program is fast. Initially some five, six stages machines they will deliver to launch with Tara GSLB. Then only every indigenous stage will go even for accepting the stage.

I used to go every time and accepting that stage and bring it here and coordinating with the GSLB for launching for the cryo, this one badly indigenous development. So out of 300 growers hundred growers, we spent four test facility at my head. [00:38:00] Bringing the liquid hydrogen tank and the liquid oxygen tank and liquid nitrogen and helium, whatnot.

You might've seen the pictures and other things. We built the whole facility and then we're leaving fired it. Then it went to the successful then stage a lot of interesting thing. It is a tankage should be very light. So I saw grid manufacturing of the tankage and the Polymail pipes. And . So many things, so everything we coordinated and destroy, big team dedicated team.

And. We developed the, almost the stage. Well, my hat also. Great. So they said you are already 60 years. Maybe we will give you two more year. They extended my retirement by two more, but still like not the complete flight, but still they said, okay. Oh, no. Do you call scientists visiting scientists and BV test?

Finally, we could launch [00:39:00] very successful. GSLB mark indigenous this the happiest moment and this thing. Well then after my retirement modernize, it was the chairman. He said. You please come to headquarters. So I went to headquarters. So first time he made a small group called the department, a direct rate of quality and Liberty for holy slow.

He made me as the director of retirement. So I was there for two years. And maybe because of the family. You know, one of my daughter was here and delivering. So I said, sir, we don't believe me. And he said, okay, you go to another city and sit there and work. So I came to United state Hyderabad and I was doing work from here and later also I used to go for most of the meetings and other things.

And in between I thought I spent a lot of government money. But public money to develop this engine, something I want to do for public. What can you do? [00:40:00] So I thought the hydrogen, I low too much. So why not use the hydrogen for the public? So the only way is to use it in automobile. So simply I lifted for, I called someone in Mumbai, Tata motors.

Anybody's doing R and D on hydrogen bus. Yeah, just, we started something in Bangalore one, man. Is there one, Mr. Why don't you talk to him? He has given the name so immediately I talked to him. He said, sorry, just normally we started, we will be very happy. So I put up a paper at the time. Pamela was the director of LPC is no issue.

I'll get whatever help you on mother. And I also said, you please do that. It is for the country only are doing so Tata motors, they gave five growth and the throw gave their place, their lab and everything in Bangalore. So I came to Bangalore. I started working on fuel cell buses. So three years I struggled and we got a hundred KV, one from Ballade and integrated the hydrogen full [00:41:00] system.

And I, we estimated almost 28 kg to load at a 200 bar in the bus so that, uh, the bus can run for 200 kilometers. You may see now Dell, he, and most of the cities, it is. If you want to make pollution free, it is not immediately required to run the bus between city to city. When leader city alone. If you do it, the city will get a beating.

Good. Yeah. So that is our aim. So 200 to 300 kilometer, I estimated to run for that hydrogen to a stalled. So. The, the festival side run in Mahindra group because my energy, how hydrogen pre, you know, so maybe because of my interaction with them, they allowed me to work. So the festival side ran in a binder, so it was very, nothing happened.

I was in safe bus, so we could run the bus more than four kilometers on the day. Then later they had taken the bus to [00:42:00] nano project in. And today, I think it might already cross more than 80,000 kilometers. The single bus, the, they built another six bus. I was coordinating with them. I was the only year guiding for them because he still said that one is a development war.

Now we cannot go on supporting, let them do separate this one. So I was a dresser for them and it was going on later than I was used to go to Vietnam. One young gentleman used to come and meet me so that I'm going to start a startup company making rockets. Will you be my dresser? I started laughing. Talk it.

You are going to make, yes, sir. How many years experience I have eight years experience in what will you do for propellant? He says that I will explain. He started at. It was through young man. If I were [00:43:00] to, you know, Goldman job is more secure and all those things, and seventh pay commission is giving so much money and please so many things are there, but he wants to leave and start.

I appreciate the courage and the passion he has and two people. But of course, I first met only the poem. So I said, fine, I am in Hyderabad so I can come in. Nope. So like that we started, uh, in 2018, I joined with Skylar. I was maybe 50 man. I was six when I joined, we are all together. So they started solid rocket.

Okay. We know most of the players, solid rocket, this made. So a lot and they want his game is to use all new technology cutting-edge technologies like go for the fiber, carbon fiber motorcades and kind of thing. And I appreciate, [00:44:00] I don't think so. He asked me the faster we can, one, they required a controlled rocket.

Using and to offer and UDM much. So he asked me to design and all those things. Plus the final stage four stage should be a way I am orbit. You know, I just went, uh, mobile this thing. So I initially decided. Uh, the 850 Newton engine, the fire, and very successful and pulse mode also that also been very successful.

Then he asked him

stage you're to start. So I've studied. And one thing that is, even though I allow hydrogen very difficult to handle because my 22. And cost is also very high. The production cost one kg of hydrogen, maybe [00:45:00] 4,005,000 rupees. So if you want to have these propellant, does your booster, the cost of the launch will be so high for the private company.

That is not good. So we selected a Lindsey as the fuel liquified natural gas. As yeah. Fuel, which is only a hundred rupees, like petrol. Okay. More or less the same price. So why don't we we'll start the liquid oxygen and the LNG LNG is new to me. I have not done in Israel. Also. I call the, again, my youngsters, they started, you know, I grew up of youngsters.

Very good boys. Yeah, a lot of good Rpad you put it, the channel design I made or taken one month, this bicycle bring within two hours. This is little salt. Wow. Okay. Inject that. There are many different ways I used to do those days with the bracing, this, that welding now 3d printer. So I visited myself in power.

We visited in Bangalore, some of the places finally I [00:46:00] could catch hold of in . Uh, I mean, yeah, very good. Uh, 3d printer. So he says money is not important. So technology is important. Such people are seemingly they know it's very important to tell in India, that is the kind of person people are there.

Recently. Last week I visited to take a delivery of. Fantastic. You believe it or not, the channel is so small and he could print without even your blog or anything. That's the kind of the technology today we help. So we are IO built, a small test streak and thousand Newton, uh, engine. We fired boat six months, cryo engine.

To my surprise, the foster test FaceTime itself. It has come very successful here. Also, the ignition is by again, toxic nature that also has worked very well. Now they are asked to do with a 2000 Newton, maybe in another few months, [00:47:00] you may hear that also engineer's already. So that is the kind of thing we are doing it.

He said easily young mind, a lot of ambitious program. He wants to develop a very high, trusted clarity engines and go forward of this one. So this is a. Basically, these are all my life. I have spent maybe the whole life. I was busy with the rocketry and they enjoy, maybe somebody will ask me, what is the age?

I used to say 25 with the 58 experience. Maybe that's all because I nowadays also I used to mingle very youngsters. My mind is very clear and happy to get their interest. Interesting. And they are coming out, understanding power hat's off[00:48:00]

[00:48:00] Narayan: Thank you for listening into this episode of the new space in debt podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please share this episode with anyone you believe will enjoy listening to it. You'll be able to find the new space in their podcast, in any of the podcasting platforms that you may be using, including apple, Google, Spotify, YouTube, and others do subscribe to the podcast in case you want to receive new episodes automatically.

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