After four delays, space start-up Agnikul has finally launched Agnibaan SOrTeD, a single-stage technology demonstrator rocket. It was launched in Sriharikota today at 7:30 a.m.
Taking to X, Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, said, “Congratulations @AgnikulCosmos on the successful launch of the Agnibaan SoRTed-01 mission from their launch pad. This is a major milestone, as it is the first-ever controlled flight of a semi-cryogenic liquid engine realised through additive manufacturing.”
The single-stage launch vehicle Agnibaan SOrTeD is propelled by AgniKul's proprietary Agnilet engine, a 6 kilonewtons (kN) semi-cryogenic engine that is 3D printed in a single piece. Additionally, it is a two-stage launch vehicle that can travel 700 kilometers into low-Earth orbit with payloads weighing up to 100 kg.
Read: Scaling with Quality is the Key Challenge for Space-Tech Startups: AgniKul’s Srinath
Since ISRO has not yet successfully flown a semi-cryogenic engine where a mixture of liquid and gas is used as a propellant, this launch is considered historic by ISRO.
Speaking about the launch, AK Bhatt, Director General, Indian Space Association, said, “What Agnikul has achieved today is nothing short of a historical milestone, since India launched its maiden rocket in 1963 from Thumba launch station. Agnibaan SOrTeD has made many firsts in its strides, including being India’s first launch from a private launchpad, the first semi-cryogenic engine-powered rocket launch, and the world’s first single-piece 3D-printed engine designed and built indigenously.”
This historic launch, he added, would surely increase international trust in India's commercial space sector and its developing capabilities, as would the recently unveiled IN-SPACe guidelines for the implementation of the Indian Space Policy 2023 and the new FDI legislation.
SR Chakravarthy, an IIT Madras professor, Moin SPM, and Srinath Ravichandran founded AgniKul in 2017. In December 2020, the company became the first in India to secure a contract with ISRO. The company has raised $42 million to date, making it one of the most funded space start-ups in India.
