Agnikul Cosmos successfully launched an Agnibaan rocket powered by the world’s first single-piece, 3D-printed semi-cryogenic engine from the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC) SHAR in Sriharikota. | Photo source: ANI
After the successful test flight of Agnibaan SOrTeD, Chennai-based space startup Agnikul Cosmos hopes to start launching satellites early next year.
In an interview with PTIAgnikul co-founder and CEO Srinath Ravichandran said the 3D-printed semi-cryogenic engines and rocket will provide a quick turnaround for customers who will be able to have launch vehicles customized for their satellites.
“I would say nine to 12 months. Our target is probably the end of this financial year or the beginning of the next financial year,” Ravichandran said when asked about the commercial orbital launch of the Agnibaan rocket.
The first test flight of the Agnibaan SOrTeD (suborbital technology demonstrator) took place on May 30 and lasted 66 seconds, after four failed attempts.
“It was a feeling of great relief. I think we have learned a lot from the difference between building a vehicle and launching a vehicle,” said Mr. Ravichandran, whose idea of using 3D printing technology to build engines and rockets led to the creation of Agnikul Cosmos , a space sector start-up incubated at IIT Madras Research Park in 2017 .
The other co-founders are Moin SPM, an operations specialist, and Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy, professor at IIT Madras and head of the National Combustion Research and Development Center.
Engineers Saraniya Periaswamy, Vehicle Director at Agnibaan SOrTeD and Umamaheswari. K, the project director of the first mission, played a key role in the test flight.
The Agnibaan SOrTeD was a vertically ascending flight, unlike sounding rockets which are launched using guide rails placed at a specific angle.
“Seven seconds after take-off, we checked the vehicle’s condition and then the autopilot engaged. After a moment of flight, it began to move over the ocean, performed a roll maneuver, and then continued its planned flight. trajectory,” Ravichandran said, sharing details of the maiden flight of Agnibaan SOrTeD.
“When it got to about 60 seconds, we started the wind deflection maneuver, where we calculate the wind speed and actually fly into the wind so that the vehicle doesn’t have too much wind stress,” he said.
After the wind deflection maneuver, the rocket continued to fly until it burned out and fell back into the ocean.
“The vehicle was constantly tracked by radar. All the equipment and instruments that made it possible also worked really well,” Ravichandran said.
The next steps for Agnikul are to master the technology of joint combustion of multiple engines and conduct stage separation tests.
“We will have to solve two things. Our orbital rocket has multiple engines powered simultaneously. So it will have to be tested on the ground. And the separation of degrees. SOrTeD was a single-stage vehicle. The orbital vehicle will have two. Stage separation should therefore be tested,” Ravichandran said.
“We are already in the process of building platforms in our center. It will take us six-seven months to do this and from there in the next three months we will be able to target an orbital mission,” he said.
According to Ravichandran, the demand for tiny satellites was high – as many as 30-35 tons of payloads were placed into low Earth orbit each year.
He said tiny satellites have a compact lifespan and the same need for replenishment for continued Earth imaging or communications applications.
The Agnibaan launch vehicle is designed to be compatible with a mobile launch platform called Dhanush and can be configured to accommodate payloads ranging from 30 kg to 300 kg, providing versatility for a wide range of mission requirements.
