Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended hearty congratulations to Chennai's Agnikul Cosmos following the triumphant sub-orbital test flight of their Agnibaan rocket on Thursday. The Prime Minister hailed this achievement as a significant milestone for India's space industry, emphasizing the pride it brings to the nation. Modi lauded Agnibaan's successful test flight as "a remarkable feat" that will "make the nation proud."
The first attempt was made on March 22 this year and was abandoned during countdown.
PM Modi posted pictures of the launch of the Agnibaan rocket on social networking site X (formerly twitter) and wrote: “A remarkable feat which will make the entire nation proud! The successful launch of the Agnibaan rocket powered by the 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 Agnikul Cosmos team for their future endeavours," he added.
Sub-orbital Test Flight of Agnibaan Rocket
In a significant stride for India's private space sector, Agnikul Cosmos achieved a landmark moment with the successful suborbital test flight of its home-built 3D-printed semi-cryogenic rocket, Agnibaan. This feat marks a historic milestone, propelling Agnikul Cosmos as the country's second private entity to accomplish such a feat. Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace was the pioneering private Indian entity, having launched its sub-orbital rocket Vikram-S in November 2022.
Despite facing initial setbacks, Agnibaan's triumph came after four unsuccessful attempts, underscoring the persistence and determination of the Agnikul Cosmos team. The test flight, named Agnibaan Sub-Orbital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD), took place at 7.15 am from the company's own launch pad at Sriharikota, situated within ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre. Notably, the event transpired without live streaming and with limited dignitaries present, highlighting the gravity and precision of the moment amidst technical challenges that plagued previous attempts on March 22, April 6, April 7, and May 28.
Agnibaan Rocket and Agnilet Engine
In yet another setback for India's emerging private space sector, Agnikul Cosmos encountered a fourth delay today as the test launch of their rocket, Agnibaan SOrTeD (Suborbital Tech Demonstrator), was halted mere seconds before lift-off. This latest postponement adds to a series of technical challenges that have plagued the AgniKul Maiden rocket launch, highlighting the intricate complexities of space exploration. Their first launch attempt on March 22 this year was aborted during the countdown, and the last attempt on April 7 was called off less than a minute before lift-off. Despite these setbacks, the Agnikul team, predominantly comprised of young engineers in their 20s, remains steadfast in their commitment to their mission. Their perseverance underscores the resilience of India's budding space industry as they navigate the intricacies of rocket engineering and testing.
Delays in space endeavors are not uncommon, as evidenced by historical precedents such as the numerous postponements of Boeing's Starliner launch with astronaut Sunita Williams. Even renowned and experienced teams encounter obstacles along the path to space exploration. Agnikul's cautious approach, prioritizing safety above all, reflects industry best practices and underscores their dedication to ensuring the reliability and success of their rocket launches. Despite facing setbacks, their determination and meticulous attention to detail signify a promising future for India's private space ventures.
Incubated at IIT-Madras, Agnikul Cosmos embarked on its first test flight with the Agnibaan SOrTeD, a significant milestone for the start-up founded in 2017 by two visionary aerospace engineers. Their goal of creating "a place where people learn to use fire" took shape with the 575 kg, 6.2-meter-long rocket, which was intended to lift off from Sriharikota and splash down in the Bay of Bengal. The Agnibaan SOrTeD is powered by a semi-cryogenic engine utilizing commercially available aviation turbine fuel (essentially kerosene) and medical-grade liquid oxygen, as detailed by Moin SPM, co-founder of Agnikul Cosmos Private Limited.
ISRO has yet to deploy a semi-cryogenic engine, although it is developing a 2000 kN thrust semi-cryogenic engine, with its first ignition trial successfully conducted on May 2. Agnikul Cosmos has distinguished itself by being the first Indian private firm to achieve this milestone. Notably, ISRO tested its first-ever 3D-printed engine in ground tests on May 9. Moin explained to NDTV that Agnibaan's unique 3D-printed engine, being a single-piece equipment, significantly reduces quality testing time thanks to advancements in 3D printing technology. The engine's fuel, a combination of aviation turbine fuel and liquid oxygen, is cost-effective, non-corrosive, and readily available, allowing for rocket launches from multiple locations with minimal infrastructure.
In a pioneering move, Agnikul has received approval to build a dedicated launchpad near the sea on Sriharikota island, complete with its own control room. This initiative is part of ISRO's broader efforts to open its facilities to promote the ease of doing business for Indian space companies. This development marks a significant step forward for Agnikul, which follows in the footsteps of Skyroot Aerospace Private Limited. In 2022, Skyroot successfully launched a solid-fueled sounding rocket from Sriharikota.
Looking ahead, Agnikul aims to offer launch-on-demand services and deploy satellites weighing between 30 to 300 kg into space once the Agnibaan rockets become fully operational. This capability would position Agnikul as a key player in the space industry, providing versatile and efficient satellite launch solutions.
Statements
Srinath Ravichandran, a co-founder of the space start-up, had said ahead of the launch, "This launch is significant since it is India's first launch from a private launchpad and the rocket has the world's first single piece 3D printed engine designed and built indigenously."
Before the planned launch, the start-up had 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, 6 kN 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."
"This will be the first controlled flight of a rocket by a private company, and all precautions are being taken to make sure nothing goes amiss. If things go awry, then the self-destruct mechanism provided by ISRO can be activated by the Range Safety Officer," Mr Moin said ahead of the launch.
"We hope to build dedicated, fully customisable and transportable launch vehicles for small satellites to Low Earth Orbits (LEO). The launch vehicle Agnibaan is powered by a single-piece 3D-printed engine that can be made in 72 hours without any human intervention. It is compatible with the mobile launch pad called 'Dhanush' which makes the launch location agnostic and, most importantly, it could be configured to fly with 4/5/6/7 [engines] which makes the launch cost the same across the spectrum of mass - 30 kg - 300 kg," the company said.
Agnikul has already attracted an investment of 40 million dollars and has a team of 250 members. "The average age of employees at Agnikul is 23 years and all are fired up to innovate," says Mr Moin, underscoring that India can become a hub for small satellite launches as more and more global companies are opting for constellations of satellites placed in low earth orbits.
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