Chennai space startup Agnikul Cosmos successfully launches Agnibaan rocket with 3D-printed engine, ISRO hails ‘milestone’

Space startup Agnikul Cosmos on May 30 successfully launched its SOrTeD mission, a single-stage launch vehicle demonstration powered by a semi-cryogenic 3D-printed engine. 

The mission, which lasted approximately two minutes, marked a major achievement for the company and the country in the development of indigenous space technology. Initially scheduled to launch on April 7, the launch for the SOrTeD mission was postponed due to technical glitches. It finally took off from India’s first private launchpad, ALP-01, located at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. 

The mission featured a 6.2-meter-tall single-stage launch vehicle with an elliptical nose cone and was equipped with advanced avionics architecture and autopilot software developed in-house. 

The Agnilet engine, the world’s first single-piece 3D-printed semi-cryogenic rocket engine, powered the vehicle.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Agnikul team on its success. "A remarkable feat which will make the entire nation proud!.." he wrote in a post on X (formally Twitter)

The mission included a series of precise manoeuvres, including a pitch-over manoeuvre and wind biasing, before splashing down in the Bay of Bengal. 

SOrTeD stands for SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator - a single-stage rocket, powered by a semi-cryogenic engine. The Agnibaan rocket can carry up to 300 kg to a 700 km high orbit. 

The feat was hailed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which termed it “a major milestone”. 

The successful launch of SOrTeD marks a significant step forward for Agnikul Cosmos, which is targeting the multi-billion-dollar small satellite launch market. 

The Chennai space startup was hailed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union MoS for Entrepreneurship, Skill Develpmnt,Electronics & Technology, who praised its game-changing achievement in the space sector.

"Congratulations @AgnikulCosmos @iitmadras Agnikul successfully completed its first launch from Agnikul’s own & India’s only private launchpad within SDSC-SHAR. Besides being the worlds 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 wrote in a post on X.

In his post on X, Jaishankar hailed Agnikul's successful launch as what "young India aspires towards and is capable of." 

The mission’s data will help fine-tune the development of the Agnibaan launch vehicle, which is expected to be highly customisable and capable of carrying a 300kg payload to a 700km orbit. 

Agnibaan SOrTeD (SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator) is a highly customisable, single-stage launch vehicle capable of taking up to 300 kg payload to orbits around 700 km high (low Earth orbits) and enables plug-and-play configuration. 

Anirudh Damani, a prime investor in AgniKul Cosmos through Artha Venture Fund, congratulated the Agnikul team for the historic feat and lauded the resilience of the team amid challenges and aborted launches.

"I am absolutely thrilled and grateful for the incredible moment in history witnessed today as Agnikul successfully powered its rocket, Agnibaan, into space from India's first private launchpad... I want to extend my congratulations to the entire team at Speciale, Pi Ventures, Celesta, Mayfield, and Anand Mahindra, as well as all the other shareholders of Agnikul, who have each played a crucial role in this journey. Throughout the challenges, aborted launches, and questions, the Agnikul team has remained resilient, and today, they have answered everyone," Damani said. 

"We at Artha Venture Fund and Artha Select Fund are incredibly proud to be investors in this groundbreaking venture," he added. 

AgniKul Cosmos Private Limited is an Indian aerospace manufacturer based in the National Center for Combustion R&D (NCRD) of IIT Madras, Chennai.