AgniKul Cosmos

AgniKul Cosmos Private Limited is a private Indian aerospace manufacturer and commercial launch service provider based in National Centre for Combustion Research and Development (NCCRD) of IIT Madras, Chennai.[2][3] The start up aims to develop and launch its own small-lift launch vehicle such as the Agnibaan, capable of placing 100 kg payload into a 700 km orbit.

The first suborbital test vehicle was successfully launched on 30 May 2024. This mission achieved several notable milestones including world's first flight with a single-piece 3D-printed engine, India's first semi-cryo engine launch and India's first launch from a private launch pad.

History

The company was founded by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM, Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy and Janardhana Raju within IIT Madras with a seed funding of inr 30000000 with aim to develop and launch its first rocket in 2021 and subsequently develop ability to provide launch service for satellites weighing up to 100 kg.[4][5]

Launch vehicle

Agnibaan (ISO: Agnibāṇa) (lit. 'Arrow of Fire') is envisaged to be a mobile launch system capable of placing a 100 kg satellite into a 700 km orbit. The rocket will be 18 meters long with a diameter of 1.3 meters and a lift-off mass of 14000 kg. It will use clustered engines on first stage in various configurations depending upon the payload and will only use LOX and Kerosene based engines.[21] A single-stage suborbital demonstrator, nicknamed Agnibaan SOrTeD (Suborbital Tech Demonstrator) was successfully launched on 30 May 2024 as a suborbital test flight.[22][23] The mission also confirmed the use of Linux-based flight computers and an Ethernet-based architecture, a first for Indian rockets.

The Agnibaan launch vehicle distinguishes itself from conventional liquid-propellant rockets by utilizing an Electric Pump-Fed cycle. This architecture employs high-discharge brushless DC motors to drive propellant pumps, effectively eliminating the need for complex pre-burners or gas generators. By replacing traditional turbomachinery with an electric system, AgniKul has significantly simplified the engine's internal plumbing, enabling a "plug-and-play" approach to engine clustering. The system is designed to run on a semi-cryogenic propellant combination of sub-cooled Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), which offers a balance of high performance and simplified handling compared to full cryogenic systems. [24][25]

A primary technical advantage of this architecture is Software-Defined Throttling, where the speed of the electric motors can be adjusted near-instantaneously via flight algorithms. This provides a level of precision in thrust control that is traditionally difficult to achieve with gas-driven turbopumps. These electric pumps feed into single-piece 3D-printed engines made of Inconel, such as the Agnilet and the larger Agnite booster, which stands one metre tall. The integration of additive manufacturing and electric propulsion allows the company to produce a complete engine in as little as seven days, facilitating rapid, on-demand launch capabilities for the small-satellite market.[26]

type	Private
industry	Space
founder	• Srinath Ravichandran • Moin SPM • Satyanaryan Chakravarthy • Janardhana Raju
foundation	1‡R1R‡
hq location city	National Centre for Combustion Research and Development, IIT Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
hq location country	India
key people	Srinath Ravichandran (CEO) Moin SPM (COO)
products	Agnibaan SOrTeD · Agnibaan · Satellite propulsion systems
services	Launch service provider
num employees	150-200
homepage	agnikul.in

History

Launch vehicle

Rocket engines

Launch pad and mission control centre

Industry collaboration

See also

External links

References