The IIT-Madras incubated space start-up, Agnikul Cosmos, has made history with the successful launch of Agnibaan rocket from its private launchpad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
It has been successfully launched after four failed attempts in the last few months.
Agnibaan Sub-Orbital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD) is a single-stage launch vehicle powered by Agnilet engine.
The Agnilet engine is the world’s first single-piece 3D-printed semi-cryogenic rocket engine.
It can carry a payload of up to 300 kg into orbit of about 700 km.
The rocket used a semi-cryogenic engine with a mix of liquid and gas propellants. This technology is not used by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in any of its rockets.
Agnikul Cosmos was established in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM, along with IIT-Madras faculty member Sathyanarayan R Chakravarthy.
It is the first Indian company to sign an agreement with ISRO in December 2020.
