Space startup Agnikul Cosmos creates history by launching Agnibaan rocket
India on Thursday created history in the space sector with the first launch from a private launchpad of the country’s second privately built rocket, and the first, using a combination of gas and liquid fuel, when Chennai-based space startup Agnikul Cosmos launched a single-stage technology demonstrator rocket — Agnibaan SOrTeD — at 7.15 am from Shriharikota.
SOrTeD uses the world’s first single-piece 3D printed engine, designed and built indigenously. This comes after the company called off a test flight of its first rocket on Tuesday, hardly a few seconds before its launch. This was the fourth such cancellation in the last three months. This launch is also considered to be historic because Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has not yet successfully flown a semi-cryogenic engine, in which a mix of liquid and gas is used as a propellant.
“What Agnikul has achieved today, is nothing short of a historical milestone, since India launched its maiden rocket in 1963 from Thumba launch station. 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,” said A K Bhatt, director general, Indian Space Association (ISPA).
“This significant launch, coupled with the recently introduced guidelines for the implementation of the Indian Space Policy 2023 by IN-SPACe and the new FDI regulations, will undoubtedly bolster global confidence in India’s private space industry and its growing capabilities,” he said.
Agnibaan rocket is a customisable, two-stage launch vehicle that can carry up to 300 kg of payload to orbits nearly 700 km in altitude, the company said. This can be compared to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy that can carry 63,500 kg to low Earth orbit, said reports.
It was in November 2022 that a private company, Skyroot Aerospace, successfully developed and operated launch vehicle Vikram-S, on a sub-orbital flight from SDSC SHAR, becoming the first player to do so.
Founded in 2017 — by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM, and SR Chakravarthy, a professor from IIT Madras — AgniKul became the first Indian firm to sign an agreement with Isro in December 2020. This pioneering agreement was facilitated under the IN-SPACe initiative, granting Agnikul unprecedented access to Isro’s expertise and cutting-edge facilities. The company is one of the highest funded space startups in India and has raised $42 million so far.
First Published: May 30 2024 | 9:49 AM IST