Students at Mar Baselios Christian College of Engineering and Technology (MBCCET) in Peerumade, Idukki, have built a rocket on campus to study the climate of the region. The rocket, made from materials found locally, will launch on December 18 at 10:22 a.m. "The college will be the first in India to completely design, assemble, and launch a rocket from its campus," said Oommen Mammen, director of MBCCET. The rocket will rise to 1 km height before parachuting down. It will study aerosol content in the Peerumade hills. The launch has official permission from the Director General of Civil Aviation and other authorities. ISRO helped by providing the rocket fuel. The rest of the parts were bought locally. The students built the rocket under the supervision of Oommen Tharakan K.T., a former ISRO scientist, explained Mr. Mammen. The rocket is 1 meter long and weighs 2.5 kg. If successful, the college plans bigger rockets to study weather patterns for farming in Peerumade. The rocket's propulsion, guidance, control, and payload deployment will be managed from a ground station at the college. A proper launch pad is also set up. Students from Mechanical, Electronics and Communication, Computer Science, Civil Engineering, and Science departments all worked together on this project. The launch also celebrates the college's 25th anniversary.