Indian space startup Agnikul Cosmos on Thursday (May 30) successfully launched its first sub-orbital test vehicle, powered by a revolutionary single-piece 3D-printed rocket engine, after facing several delays.

Agnibaan SOrTeD (Sub-Orbital Technology Demonstrator) lifted off at 7:15 am on Thursday.

Although it is the second launch by a private startup in India, it is the first to use a private launchpad that the company has set up at Sriharikota.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the team and said on X, “A remarkable feat which will make the entire nation proud! &nbsp;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 Agnikul Cosmos team for their future endeavours.”

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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… <a href="https://t.co/iJFyy0dRqq">https://t.co/iJFyy0dRqq</a> <a href="https://t.co/LlUAErHkO9">pic.twitter.com/LlUAErHkO9</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1796086438066569416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Dr Pawan Goenka, chairman of IN-SPACe responsible for coordinating with the private space sector, wrote on X, “Elated at the successful launch of Agnibaan SOrTeD by @AgnikulCosmos! A historic moment for India’s space sector. Powered by world’s first single piece 3D printed semi-cryogenic engine, this achievement showcases brilliance of our young innovators.”

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) also took to X and stated, “a major milestone, as the first-ever controlled flight of a semi-cryogenic liquid engine realized through additive manufacturing”.

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Congratulations <a href="https://twitter.com/AgnikulCosmos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AgnikulCosmos</a> 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 realized through additive manufacturing.<a href="https://twitter.com/INSPACeIND?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@INSPACeIND</a>
— ISRO (@isro) <a href="https://twitter.com/isro/status/1796009306929738239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Usually, engine parts are manufactured separately and assembled later. Using the 3D-printed manufacturing process is likely to lower the launch cost and cut down the vehicle assembly time. The company aims to offer affordable launch services to small satellites.

“This is a significant achievement for India's space industry," said Professor Satyanarayanan R Chakravarthy, advisor to Agnikul Cosmos and head of IIT Madras' National Centre for Combustion Research and Development.&nbsp;

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"We've developed India's first semi-cryogenic engine, and it's also the world's most intricate single-piece 3D printed component. This technology has the potential to revolutionize rocket assembly with its unmatched speed," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Indian space startup Agnikul Cosmos on Thursday (May 30) successfully launched its first sub-orbital test vehicle, powered by a revolutionary single-piece 3D-printed rocket engine, after facing several delays.

Indian space startup Agnikul Cosmos on Thursday (May 30) successfully launched its first sub-orbital test vehicle, powered by a revolutionary single-piece 3D-printed rocket engine, after facing several delays. Agnibaan SOrTeD (Sub-Orbital Technology Demonstrator) lifted off at 7:15 am on Thursday. Although it is the second launch by a private startup in India, it is the first to use a private launchpad that the company has set up at Sriharikota. Also read: Delhi excise policy case: CM Arvind Kejriwal moves court seeking regular bail Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the team and said 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 Agnikul Cosmos 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 × Dr Pawan Goenka, chairman of IN-SPACe responsible for coordinating with the private space sector, wrote on X, “Elated at the successful launch of Agnibaan SOrTeD by @AgnikulCosmos! A historic moment for India’s space sector. Powered by world’s first single piece 3D printed semi-cryogenic engine, this achievement showcases brilliance of our young innovators.” The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) also took to X and stated, “a major milestone, as the first-ever controlled flight of a semi-cryogenic liquid engine realized through additive manufacturing”. 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 realized through additive manufacturing.@INSPACeIND — ISRO (@isro) May 30, 2024 × Usually, engine parts are manufactured separately and assembled later. Using the 3D-printed manufacturing process is likely to lower the launch cost and cut down the vehicle assembly time. The company aims to offer affordable launch services to small satellites. “This is a significant achievement for India's space industry," said Professor Satyanarayanan R Chakravarthy, advisor to Agnikul Cosmos and head of IIT Madras' National Centre for Combustion Research and Development. Also read: Monsoon to arrive in Kerala within 24 hours, to reach northeast India in 3-4 days "We've developed India's first semi-cryogenic engine, and it's also the world's most intricate single-piece 3D printed component. This technology has the potential to revolutionize rocket assembly with its unmatched speed," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Agnikul Cosmos successfully launches world's first 3D-printed rocket engine

Indian firm Agnikul Cosmos is on its way to becoming the first in the country to privately design, develop and launch a liquid-fuelled rocket.

Liquid-fuelled rockets are much more complicated to design and build, when compared to solid-fuelled rockets.

Agnikul is targeting to launch their maiden rocket known as 'Agnibaan SOrTeD' (SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator) within a few weeks, the firm said.

Suborbital launches are meant to take the vehicle to the earth's upper atmosphere and not venture into space. Suborbital launches are the preferred method for startups to test and validate their maiden rocket, related sub-systems and thereby progress to more ambitious launch vehicle projects.

According to the firm, 'Agnibaan SOrTeD' is a single-stage launch vehicle driven by Agnikul’s patented Agnilet engine- an entirely 3D-printed, single-piece, 6kN semi-cryogenic engine.

Unlike traditional (solid-fuelled) sounding rockets that launch from guide rails, Agnibaan SOrTeD will lift off vertically and follow a predetermined trajectory while performing a precisely orchestrated set of manoeuvres during flight, they added.&nbsp;

In the presence of ISRO and IN-SPACe officials, members of the Agnikul team unveiled their launch vehicle at Agnikul's Mission Control Centre (AMCC), in the Indian Government-run spaceport, Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

Notably, Agnikul also has India's first private rocket launch pad, housed within the same campus.

“Delighted to see the progress Agnikul team has made so far. They have our best wishes to have a successful first flight and further activities”, said A. Rajarajan, Director of SDSC-SHAR, at the event where the vehicle was unveiled.

According to&nbsp;Srinath Ravichandran, co-founder and CEO of Agnikul, this upcoming suborbital launch is meant to validate Agnikul's proprietary autopilot, navigation, and guidance algorithms and the capability of their launchpad to undertake more complex missions.

Moin SPM, co-founder and COO of Agnikul, said, “Building a launch vehicle entails the integration of diverse systems, and coming together of various teams spanning different disciplines uniting towards a common goal. This vehicle standing on the launchpad is a testament of everyone’s hard work in the team.”

Agnikul was established in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM, and Prof. SR Chakravarthy, who hail from IIT Madras.

The firm’s primary objective is to democratise space exploration by making it both accessible and cost-effective.

The firm had been targeting a maiden launch by September 2022, but owing to the complexities and engineering sophistication involved in kerosene-liquid oxygen rockets, the firm has overshot their initial target by a year.

Notably, this will be the first kerosene-liquid oxygen (semi-cryogenic) rocket to be designed, developed and launched from India.

Meanwhile, the Indian space agency ISRO is also testing its own semi-cryogenic engine, but its engine is exponentially more powerful and sophisticated than that of the private firm.

ISRO's SCE-2000 is meant to significantly enhance the lifting power of India's LVM3 rocket.

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Indian firm Agnikul Cosmos is on its way to becoming the first in the country to privately design, develop and launch a liquid-fuelled rocket. Liquid-fuelled rockets are much more complicated to design and build, when compared to solid-fuelled rockets.

Indian firm Agnikul Cosmos is on its way to becoming the first in the country to privately design, develop and launch a liquid-fuelled rocket. Liquid-fuelled rockets are much more complicated to design and build, when compared to solid-fuelled rockets. Agnikul is targeting to launch their maiden rocket known as 'Agnibaan SOrTeD' (SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator) within a few weeks, the firm said. Suborbital launches are meant to take the vehicle to the earth's upper atmosphere and not venture into space. Suborbital launches are the preferred method for startups to test and validate their maiden rocket, related sub-systems and thereby progress to more ambitious launch vehicle projects. According to the firm, 'Agnibaan SOrTeD' is a single-stage launch vehicle driven by Agnikul’s patented Agnilet engine- an entirely 3D-printed, single-piece, 6kN semi-cryogenic engine. Unlike traditional (solid-fuelled) sounding rockets that launch from guide rails, Agnibaan SOrTeD will lift off vertically and follow a predetermined trajectory while performing a precisely orchestrated set of manoeuvres during flight, they added. In the presence of ISRO and IN-SPACe officials, members of the Agnikul team unveiled their launch vehicle at Agnikul's Mission Control Centre (AMCC), in the Indian Government-run spaceport, Satish Dhawan Space Centre. Notably, Agnikul also has India's first private rocket launch pad, housed within the same campus. “Delighted to see the progress Agnikul team has made so far. They have our best wishes to have a successful first flight and further activities”, said A. Rajarajan, Director of SDSC-SHAR, at the event where the vehicle was unveiled. According to Srinath Ravichandran, co-founder and CEO of Agnikul, this upcoming suborbital launch is meant to validate Agnikul's proprietary autopilot, navigation, and guidance algorithms and the capability of their launchpad to undertake more complex missions. Moin SPM, co-founder and COO of Agnikul, said, “Building a launch vehicle entails the integration of diverse systems, and coming together of various teams spanning different disciplines uniting towards a common goal. This vehicle standing on the launchpad is a testament of everyone’s hard work in the team.” Agnikul was established in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM, and Prof. SR Chakravarthy, who hail from IIT Madras. The firm’s primary objective is to democratise space exploration by making it both accessible and cost-effective. The firm had been targeting a maiden launch by September 2022, but owing to the complexities and engineering sophistication involved in kerosene-liquid oxygen rockets, the firm has overshot their initial target by a year. Notably, this will be the first kerosene-liquid oxygen (semi-cryogenic) rocket to be designed, developed and launched from India. Meanwhile, the Indian space agency ISRO is also testing its own semi-cryogenic engine, but its engine is exponentially more powerful and sophisticated than that of the private firm. ISRO's SCE-2000 is meant to significantly enhance the lifting power of India's LVM3 rocket. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Agnikul Cosmos to soon launch India's first kerosene-oxygen-powered rocket

Indian launch vehicle company Agnikul Cosmos is targeting a March 2023 launch for its rocket "Agnibaan", which will be India's first rocket to be powered by a combination of kerosene and liquid oxygen. The maiden flight would be carried out from India's spaceport Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota and is to be a sub-orbital flight, which means that the rocket would not venture into space. This rocket is capable of lifting payloads weighing up to 100 kg to orbits around 700 kms above the earth's surface.

Agnikul's CEO Srinath Ravichandran revealed the plans for the maiden launch, while speaking at the SpaceTech Summit organized at IIT Madras, as part of the Shaastra technical fest. He said that the test flight is aimed at validating their technology and proving the performance of the various systems and sub-systems of the vehicle which weighs 14 tonnes at launch, stands 18 meters tall and is 1.3 meters in diameter. The rocket is said to be made to specific dimensions to ensure that it can easily fit into a shipping container or trailer.&nbsp;

According to the company, their vehicle will comprise of two stages, where the first stage comprises of a cluster of engines known as 'Agnite' and the second stage comprises of the 'Agnilet' engine. Both these engines are semi-cryogenic, which means that they use a combination of fuels - refined kerosene (stored at room temperature) and super cooled liquid oxygen. Both engines used by Agnikul are designed and developed by them in India and are single-piece, 3-D printed engines, said to be the first in the world.

Sharing the salient features of their rocket, Agnikul's COO, Moin SPM said that the first stage was customizable and could be fitted with anywhere between (minimum of) four to (maximum of) seven engines, as per mission requirement. The rocket engines would also be utilizing fuel pumps that are powered by batteries and electric motors. To ensure safe export and transportation of their rocket, the firm ensured that the rocket comprises of no explosives or pyrotechnics. Typically, rockets use small explosive bolts to jettison spent stages, but Agnikul will be making use of pneumatic systems for the same.

In November 2022, Agnikul had inaugurated India's first private rocket launch pad and mission control centre. This facility is situated within the ISRO spaceport at Sriharikota. However, unlike other rockets that operate from India, Agnikul is working on a method where the rocket can be launched from a pedestal on the back of a truck. The test launch of Agnibaan will have all the avionics, telemetry and guidance systems, as would normally be used in the commercial launches of the rocket.

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Indian launch vehicle company Agnikul Cosmos is targeting a March 2023 launch for its rocket "Agnibaan", which will be India's first rocket to be powered by a combination of kerosene and liquid oxygen.

Indian launch vehicle company Agnikul Cosmos is targeting a March 2023 launch for its rocket "Agnibaan", which will be India's first rocket to be powered by a combination of kerosene and liquid oxygen. The maiden flight would be carried out from India's spaceport Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota and is to be a sub-orbital flight, which means that the rocket would not venture into space. This rocket is capable of lifting payloads weighing up to 100 kg to orbits around 700 kms above the earth's surface. Agnikul's CEO Srinath Ravichandran revealed the plans for the maiden launch, while speaking at the SpaceTech Summit organized at IIT Madras, as part of the Shaastra technical fest. He said that the test flight is aimed at validating their technology and proving the performance of the various systems and sub-systems of the vehicle which weighs 14 tonnes at launch, stands 18 meters tall and is 1.3 meters in diameter. The rocket is said to be made to specific dimensions to ensure that it can easily fit into a shipping container or trailer. According to the company, their vehicle will comprise of two stages, where the first stage comprises of a cluster of engines known as 'Agnite' and the second stage comprises of the 'Agnilet' engine. Both these engines are semi-cryogenic, which means that they use a combination of fuels - refined kerosene (stored at room temperature) and super cooled liquid oxygen. Both engines used by Agnikul are designed and developed by them in India and are single-piece, 3-D printed engines, said to be the first in the world. Sharing the salient features of their rocket, Agnikul's COO, Moin SPM said that the first stage was customizable and could be fitted with anywhere between (minimum of) four to (maximum of) seven engines, as per mission requirement. The rocket engines would also be utilizing fuel pumps that are powered by batteries and electric motors. To ensure safe export and transportation of their rocket, the firm ensured that the rocket comprises of no explosives or pyrotechnics. Typically, rockets use small explosive bolts to jettison spent stages, but Agnikul will be making use of pneumatic systems for the same. In November 2022, Agnikul had inaugurated India's first private rocket launch pad and mission control centre. This facility is situated within the ISRO spaceport at Sriharikota. However, unlike other rockets that operate from India, Agnikul is working on a method where the rocket can be launched from a pedestal on the back of a truck. The test launch of Agnibaan will have all the avionics, telemetry and guidance systems, as would normally be used in the commercial launches of the rocket. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Private firm Agnikul to launch India's first kerosene-oxygen powered rocket 'Agnibaan' in March

Indian space start-up Agnikul Cosmos announced that the Government of India awarded them the patent for having indigenously designed and 3-D printed a one-of-its-kind rocket engine. Dubbed 'Agnilet', the engine is said to be the world's first single-piece 3-D printed rocket engine and was successfully test-fired in early 2021.&nbsp;

Typically, rocket engines have thousands of parts, however, Agnikul says that they have designed their engine to encapsulate all of these parts into a single piece of hardware, with zero assembled parts.

Elaborating on their achievement, Srinath Ravichandran, co-founder &amp; CEO, of Agnikul said, “Rocket engines usually have thousands of parts in them - starting from injectors that inject fuel into the engine, to the cooling channels that cool the engine, to the igniter that is necessary to ignite the propellants. Designing Agnilet as a single piece of hardware has not been an easy ride, but our team has proved it to be otherwise". He also thanked their mentors from the aerospace industry, academia and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).&nbsp;

Recently, Agnikul had inaugurated its 'Rocket Factory- 1', which is said to be India’s first-ever rocket facility dedicated to 3D print such rocket engines. Situated at the IIT Madras Research Park in Chennai, the new state-of-the-art production facility houses world-class machinery, including a 400mm x 400mm x 400mm metal 3D printer from EOS, and a host of other machines that will enable end-to-end manufacturing of a rocket engine under one roof.

Founded in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM &amp; Prof. SR Chakravarthy, IIT Madras, Agnikul is on a mission to make space accessible and affordable. The Indian launch vehicle start-up is working on launching satellites to Low Earth Orbits from Indian soil. Thus far, only the government-run Indian Space Research Organization has been building and launching rockets from India. However, start-ups have set their sights on space, with the reforms that are being implemented in India's space sector.&nbsp;

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Indian space start-up Agnikul Cosmos announced that the Government of India awarded them the patent for having indigenously designed and 3-D printed a one-of-its-kind rocket engine.

Indian space start-up Agnikul Cosmos announced that the Government of India awarded them the patent for having indigenously designed and 3-D printed a one-of-its-kind rocket engine. Dubbed 'Agnilet', the engine is said to be the world's first single-piece 3-D printed rocket engine and was successfully test-fired in early 2021. Typically, rocket engines have thousands of parts, however, Agnikul says that they have designed their engine to encapsulate all of these parts into a single piece of hardware, with zero assembled parts. Elaborating on their achievement, Srinath Ravichandran, co-founder & CEO, of Agnikul said, “Rocket engines usually have thousands of parts in them - starting from injectors that inject fuel into the engine, to the cooling channels that cool the engine, to the igniter that is necessary to ignite the propellants. Designing Agnilet as a single piece of hardware has not been an easy ride, but our team has proved it to be otherwise". He also thanked their mentors from the aerospace industry, academia and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Recently, Agnikul had inaugurated its 'Rocket Factory- 1', which is said to be India’s first-ever rocket facility dedicated to 3D print such rocket engines. Situated at the IIT Madras Research Park in Chennai, the new state-of-the-art production facility houses world-class machinery, including a 400mm x 400mm x 400mm metal 3D printer from EOS, and a host of other machines that will enable end-to-end manufacturing of a rocket engine under one roof. Founded in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM & Prof. SR Chakravarthy, IIT Madras, Agnikul is on a mission to make space accessible and affordable. The Indian launch vehicle start-up is working on launching satellites to Low Earth Orbits from Indian soil. Thus far, only the government-run Indian Space Research Organization has been building and launching rockets from India. However, start-ups have set their sights on space, with the reforms that are being implemented in India's space sector. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Indian start-up patents world's first 3-D printed, single-piece rocket engine

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Agnikul Cosmos successfully launches world's first 3D-printed rocket engine

Agnikul Cosmos to soon launch India's first kerosene-oxygen-powered rocket

Private firm Agnikul to launch India's first kerosene-oxygen powered rocket 'Agnibaan' in March

Indian start-up patents world's first 3-D printed, single-piece rocket engine