Agnibaan is a customizable vehicle which signed an agreement with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Agnikul Cosmos: The Chennai-based private space technology firm Agnikul Cosmos has successfully conducted the test launch of its first rocket. The event took place on Thursday from the only private launchpad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, located in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
The liftoff took place at 7.15 am today.
PM Modi posted on X: “A remarkable feat which will make the entire nation proud! The successful launch of Agnibaan rocket powered by world’s first single-piece 3D printed semi-cryogenic engine is a momentous occasion for India’s space sector and a testament to the remarkable ingenuity of our Yuva Shakti. My best wishes to the @AgnikulCosmos team for their future endeavours.”
A remarkable feat which will make the entire nation proud!
The successful launch of Agnibaan rocket powered by world’s first single-piece 3D printed semi-cryogenic engine is a momentous occasion for India’s space sector and a testament to the remarkable ingenuity of our Yuva… https://t.co/iJFyy0dRqq pic.twitter.com/LlUAErHkO9
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 30, 2024
The Agnibaan SOrTeD (SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator) is distinguished by its propulsion through the world’s first 3D-printed engine, Agnilet, which was designed and manufactured in India.
Pawan K Goenka, Chairman of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) of the central government’s Department of Space termed it a historic moment for the country’s space sector. Taking to social media platform X he posted, “Elated at the successful launch of Agnibaan SOrTeD by AgnikulCosmos,” and said the “achievement showcases brilliance of our young innovators.”
ISRO also congratulated Agnikul Cosmos for the “major milestone.”
“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,” ISRO posted on X.
The rocket utilizes a semi-cryogenic engine that operates on commercially procured aviation turbine fuel, kerosene, and liquid oxygen.
Founded in 2017 at IIT-Madras, the startup announced before the launch that Agnibaan SOrTeD is engineered to ascend vertically, deviating from the conventional guide rail launch system of traditional sounding rockets. It is programmed to follow a specific trajectory and execute a series of meticulously planned maneuvers during its flight.
Today’s progress marks the company’s fifth attempt, following the cancellation of a test flight for its inaugural rocket on Tuesday, just seconds before launch. This cancellation was the fourth of its kind in the past three months.
In a post on X, Agnikul Cosmos said they were “humbled” to announce the successful completion of their first flight “Mission 01 of Agnibaan SOrTeD.”
“All the mission objectives of this controlled vertical ascent flight were met and performance was nominal,” the company said.
They also thanked IN-SPACe, ISRO and IIT Madras for “helping prove that a private player can design and fly original space tech hardware in India.”
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar also extended his congratulations to Agnikul Cosmos for successfully completing its first launch.
“Congratulations @AgnikulCosmos @iitmadras Agnikul successfully completed its first launch from Agnikul’s own & India’s only private Launchpad within SDSC-SHAR. Besides being the world’s first flight with a single piece 3D printed rocket engine, this controlled flight is also India’s first flight with a semi cryogenic engine. The vehicle was completely designed in-house in India and assembled at Agnikul’s facilities within IIT Madras,” Chandrasekhar posted on X.
The engine test utilized Agnikul’s proprietary data acquisition systems and flight computers, which were entirely designed in-house. Additionally, the test demonstrated the capability of the SOrTeD vehicle’s complete avionics chain to manage its propulsion system.
According to the startup, the customizable two-stage vehicle, Agnibaan, is capable of carrying up to 300 kg to orbits approximately 700 km above the Earth. It can access both low and high inclination orbits and is fully mobile, designed to utilize more than 10 launch ports.
Agnibaan which is Sanskrit word that translates to mean “an arrow of fire” is a customizable vehicle, according to the startup, which signed an agreement with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
In 2021 it successfully fired the single piece 3D printed engine Agnilet and raised USD 11 million series A round from instutuional and angel investors. In 2022 it signed an agreement with IN-SPACe and inaugurated its launchpad and mission control room in Sriharikota. The company received a Flight Termination System from ISRO, marking the first time a PSLV package was delivered for a private vehicle.
ISRO said that establishment of the private launchpad designed and operated by Agnikul marks a significant step in opening the Indian space sector to private players.
The facility, inaugurated on November 25, 2022, by S. Somanath, Chairman of ISRO and Secretary of the Department of Space (DOS), includes a launchpad and a mission control center. The system is designed to support liquid stage-controlled launches, allow ISRO’s range operations teams to monitor critical flight safety parameters during launches, and facilitate data sharing with ISRO’s Mission Control Center.
During the innaguration Somanath had said that India can travel to space from one more space platform.
Founded in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM and SR Chakravarthy a professor from IIT Madras, Agnikul aims to make space accessible and affordable and aspires to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of enabling building of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
The country’s first privately developed rocket Vikram-S was launched in the year 2002 by private company Skyroot Aerospace.
(With ANI inputs)