OUR WORK

We are Team Abhyuday from IIT Madras. Our team is composed of highly passionate & innovative students of IIT Madras, including undergraduates and a Ph.D. Scholar. We are united by our passion for spaceflight. We had the privilege of competing in the Spaceport America Cup, the world's largest intercollegiate rocketry competition, and now we're eager to enhance our performance in the upcoming edition of this prestigious event.

Flight Dynamics and Control

The Flight Dynamics and Controls vertical ensures our rockets fly true and reach their precise target altitudes. This team specializes in the complex aerodynamics and stability characteristics of the vehicle during its rigorous ascent phase. To achieve pinpoint accuracy, they design and implement active control mechanisms, including Canards for trajectory correction, Cold Gas thrusters for precise attitude control, and deployable Air Brake systems for exact altitude targeting. Before any hardware takes flight, the team relies on sophisticated, custom-built 6-Degree-of-Freedom (6DOF) simulation software to model the rocket's trajectory under various atmospheric conditions. By seamlessly bridging the gap between advanced aerodynamic theory and active flight hardware, this vertical maximizes flight efficiency and ensures our vehicles meet strict mission requirements.

Propulsion

The Propulsion vertical is the powerhouse of Team Abhyuday, focusing on the rigorous design, thermodynamic analysis, and testing of high-performance rocket engines. Valuing hands-on experimentation, this team recently achieved a monumental milestone: developing India's first student-built Hybrid Rocket Engine. Generating a peak thrust of 5.3kN, it is the largest hybrid engine ever built by a student team in Asia—a feat that earned us the prestigious On-The-Spot Innovation Award at IREC 2025. Never resting on our laurels, we are currently collaborating with leading industry partners to pioneer developments in Indian Liquid Rocket Engine technology. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in our alumni, who are currently driving aerospace innovation at companies like Agnikul, Skyroot, and Collins Aerospace.

Payload

Serving as the primary research and development arm of Team Abhyuday, the Payload vertical explores innovative ways satellite technologies can expand our understanding of space while improving life on Earth. Having previously developed diverse systems from energy harvesting modules to advanced optical imaging setups, our current focus has shifted to cutting-edge telecommunications. For the 2025–26 season, the team is developing CARIS: a state-of-the-art phased array antenna capable of fully electronic 3D beamforming. This groundbreaking system eliminates the need for heavy, mechanical rotation, allowing the antenna to dynamically steer communication signals toward regions lacking connectivity. CARIS represents a massive leap toward intelligent, adaptive satellite architectures that will define the future of orbital communications.

Business and Operations

The Business and Operations vertical is the driving force that propels Team Abhyuday from the drawing board to the launchpad. Acting as the backbone of the organization, this team masterfully orchestrates the complex logistics of international rocket transport and manages the comprehensive financial framework that sustains our ambitious projects. Beyond the spreadsheets, they are the voice and face of Abhyuday—securing vital monetary and in-kind sponsorships, designing official merchandise, and producing compelling media content that engages our community and sponsors alike. From coordinating the rigorous IREC Team Video Challenge from concept to completion, to planning team-building initiatives that forge lifelong bonds, the Business team ensures that every technical milestone is matched by operational excellence and widespread recognition.

Airframe & Recovery

The Airframe and Recovery vertical is dedicated to the structural integrity and safe return of our launch vehicles. This team pushes the boundaries of manufacturing by meticulously fabricating lightweight, high-strength composite tubes that form the rocket's outer shell. Their expertise extends into advanced structural simulations, ensuring the vehicle can withstand the extreme aerodynamic stresses of supersonic flight. Beyond the airframe, they engineer robust ejection systems for seamless rocket separation and precise payload deployment. To optimize our workflow, the team even designs and builds custom automation machinery, such as specialized sanding lathes. Finally, they develop highly reliable parachute guidance and recovery systems, culminating in the precise final assembly of the rocket to guarantee a safe, controlled descent after every successful mission.

Avionics

The Avionics vertical serves as the central nervous system of our launch vehicles. This dedicated team of electronics and software engineers is responsible for designing, fabricating, and programming the custom printed circuit boards (PCBs) and flight computers that command the rocket. During flight, our avionics systems capture real-time, high-fidelity data—including altitude, acceleration, and GPS coordinates—transmitting it via robust telemetry links to our ground control station. They design the critical ignition sequencing, stage separation triggers, and parachute deployment logic, ensuring failsafe redundancy at every altitude. By continuously iterating on sensor fusion algorithms and embedded systems, the Avionics team guarantees that every launch is not only flawlessly controlled but comprehensively recorded for post-flight analysis.