Agnikul Cosmos successfully launches India's first private rocket Agniban

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Today marks the inaugural launch of the Agniban rocket, developed by the Indian space research startup Agnikul Cosmos. This historic event represents the first instance of a private company in India launching a rocket into space.

CEO Srinath Ravichandran announced that the rocket will be launched from "Dhanushi," a mobile launch pad manufactured and operated by Agnikul itself at Sriharikota. However, the specific launch time has not been disclosed. It's noteworthy that the construction and launch of the rocket are being undertaken with assistance from ISRO. The Agniban rocket is designed to carry small satellites weighing less than 100 kg into orbits up to 700 km high. Powered by a semi-cryogenic engine running on kerosene, aviation turbine fuel and liquid oxygen, it consists of three stages.

For today's launch, the rocket will ascend only 20 km above the ground, carrying a 7kg satellite model. This experimental mission, termed Suborbital Tech Demonstration, will involve the rocket taking off from the ground and descending back into the Bay of Bengal. Notably, last year on July 4th, ISRO conducted experiments with a semi-cryogenic engine, but today's test marks the first aerial testing conducted by a private firm.

The Agniban rocket stands 18 meters tall, with a diameter of 1.3 meters and a weight of 580 kilograms. Notably, Agnikul is the first center in India to utilize 3D printing technology for manufacturing rocket engines. This technology allows for the creation of rocket engines in a single mould without requiring assembly. With the capability to produce two rocket engines per week, Agnikul commenced operations in 2017. Its rocket factory is housed in the IIT Madras Research Park.