In a step closer to their maiden rocket launch, Chennai-based space tech startup Agnikul Cosmos began the integration process of its suborbital Agnibaan launch vehicle with their private launchpad at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Agnikul plans to complete its first flight in the coming weeks, the startup said.
A suborbital rocket is a type of rocket that is designed to reach altitudes just above the Earth's atmosphere but does not achieve the velocity required to enter orbit around the planet. To recap, Hyderabad-based space tech startup Skyroot Aerospace also launched a sub-orbital rocket to become the first private company from India to launch for space.
The rocket has been named as Agnibaan Suborbital Technological Demonstrator, which as the name suggests would help in validating the startup's technologies. It is a single-stage launch vehicle driven by Agnikul’s patented Agnilet – an entirely 3D-printed, single-piece, 6 kN semi-cryogenic engine.
The rocket is being integrated with the startup's private launchpad at the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC), Sriharikota, which was unveiled in November 2022. The facility is divided into two sections: the Agnikul launchpad (ALP) and the Agnikul mission control centre (AMCC). They are separated by a distance of 4 kilometres.
It was unveiled at AMCC in the presence of officials from SDSC, IN-SPACe, before being transported to the launch site.
Agnibaan will lift off vertically and follow a predetermined trajectory while performing a precisely orchestrated set of maneuvers during flight, the company said in a release. These flight events have been configured to validate key technologies integral to the success of the company's upcoming orbital flights, the release added.
Earlier in February, the startup successfully completed the flight acceptance test of their 3D printed rocket engine, being used in their Agnibaan launch vehicle. During the test, the 3D printed rocket engine Aginlet burnt for 108 seconds, generated sea level thrust of 6 kilo Newton (kN).
Established in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM, and SR Chakravarthy, of IIT Madras, the startup aims to democratise space exploration by making it both accessible and cost-effective.
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