Start-up Agnikul Cosmos scores two firsts with launch of Agnibaan rocket

Chennai-based space start-up Agnikul Cosmos on Thursday (May 30) successfully carried out a sub-orbital test-flight of its home-built 3D-printed semi-cryogenic rocket Agnibaan from its own launch pad at Sriharikota, making it India's second private entity to do so.

This was the fifth attempt by Agnikul to launch the Agnibaan Sub-Orbital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD) since March 22.

After four unsuccessful attempts that were aborted due to technical glitches, the test-flight on Thursday (May 30) was carried out without any live-streaming and in the presence of fewer dignitaries at the Sriharikota launch pad located within ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

Agnikul Cosmos announced the successful launch on X, "Humbled to announce the successful completion of our first flight - Mission 01 of Agnibaan SOrTeD - from our own and India's first & only private launchpad within SDSC-SHAR at Sriharikota. All the mission objectives of this controlled vertical ascent flight were met and performance was nominal."

"Congratulations @AgnikulCosmos for the successful launch of the Agnibaan SoRTed-01 mission from their launch pad. A major milestone, as the first-ever controlled flight of a semi-cryogenic liquid engine realised through additive manufacturing," the ISRO said in a post on X.

"Elated at the successful launch of Agnibaan SOrTeD by @AgnikulCosmos! A historic moment for India's space sector. Powered by the world's first single-piece 3D-printed semi-cryogenic engine, this achievement showcases the brilliance of our young innovators," Pawan Goenka, Chairman, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), said on X.

"This is a huge boost and a proud moment for India’s thriving private space industry and just a glimpse into what the future holds for us, our hearty congratulations to the entire team behind this and best wishes for their future efforts," Lt Gen AK Bhatt (retd) Director General, Indian Space Association (ISpA) said.

Agnibaan rocket

Agnibaan (a Sanskrit word that means “an arrow of fire”) is a customisable, two-stage launch vehicle that can carry a payload of up to 300 kg into orbit of about 700 km, according to the company.

The rocket uses a semi-cryogenic engine with a mix of liquid and gas propellants, a technology that is yet to be demonstrated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in any of its rockets.

Agnilet engine – world’s first-of-its-kind

The Agnilet engine is the world's first single-piece 3D-printed semi-cryogenic rocket engine.

The SOrTeD mission is a single-stage launch vehicle demonstration that is powered by the Agnilet, a sub-cooled liquid oxygen-based propulsion system developed indigenously.

The start-up has readied the vehicle with the first-ever ethernet-based avionics architecture and fully in-house-developed autopilot software from India. Powered by sub-cooled Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), the vehicle is equipped with four carbon composite fins to provide passive control.

Agnikul’s press release before launch

Before the launch, the start-up said in a statement, “Agnibaan SOrTeD (Suborbital Tech Demonstrator) is a single-stage launch vehicle driven by Agnikul’s patented Agnilet engine – an entirely 3D-printed, single-piece, 6kN semi-cryogenic engine. Agnibaan SOrTeD will lift off vertically and follow a predetermined trajectory. The trajectory, manoeuvres, and various flight events that will occur during the mission have been configured to validate tech integral to the success of our upcoming orbital flights. We are excited to be attempting this flight from our own launch pad (named Dhanush) at Sriharikota.”

The start-up

The Chennai-based company Agnikul Cosmos Private Limited, founded by two young aerospace engineers, Srinath Ravichandran and SPM Moin, was incubated at IIT Madras in 2017.

Agnikul has an employee strength of about 250 with an average age of 23, guided by 37 ex-ISRO scientists. The company has already received an investment of $40 million.

The company’s website says Agnikul is a derivative of the Sanskrit word “Gurukul”, and it could be interpreted to mean “a place where people learn to use fire”.

(With agency inputs)