New Delhi. Chennai-based space start-up Agnikul Cosmos on Thursday successfully conducted a sub-orbital test of its indigenously built 3D-printed semi-cryogenic rocket Agnibaan from its launch site in Sriharikota. Agnikul Cosmos has become the second private entity in India to achieve this feat.
After four unsuccessful attempts, the test was conducted at 7.15 am on Thursday without any live streaming in the presence of a few dignitaries at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Sriharikota.
Agnikul Cosmos said, “We are extremely pleased to announce the successful completion of our first flight – Mission 01 of Agnibaan SORTED from our launch site in Sriharikota.” The startup said on social media platform ‘X’. “This feat was achieved from our own and India’s first and only private launch site at SDSC-SHAR in Sriharikota.” It said that all the objectives of the mission were achieved in this controlled flight. According to the startup, the launch vehicle was completely designed indigenously and was powered by the world’s first ‘3D printed single engine’. This is India’s first flight with a semi cryo engine.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in a post on the social media platform ‘X’, “Congratulations to Agnikul Cosmos for the successful launch of Agnibaan SORTED-01 mission from their launch site. This is a great achievement….” Pawan Goenka, Chairman, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-Space), said on the social media platform ‘X’, “Very happy with the successful launch of Agnibaan SORTED by Agnikul Cosmos. This is a historic moment for India’s space sector.” This was the fifth attempt by Agnikul to launch Agnibaan Sub-Orbital Technology Demonstrator (SORTED) since March 22.
Lt Gen A K Bhatt (Retd), Director General, Indian Space Association (ISPA) said, “This is a huge boost and a proud moment for India’s thriving private space industry. This is just a glimpse of what the future holds for us. Our heartiest congratulations to the entire team and best wishes for their future endeavours.” According to the company, Agnibaan is a customisable two-stage launch vehicle that can carry a payload of up to 300 kg to an orbit of about 700 km. This rocket uses a semi-cryogenic engine with a mixture of liquid and gas propellants. This is a technology that has not yet been demonstrated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in any of its rockets.