Agnikul Cosmos, a Chennai-based space tech startup, is planning a full-scale commercial launch of their rocket Agnibaan in March/April 2023, according to co-founder and CEO Srinath Ravichandran.
Agnilet, the startup's single-piece 3D-printed engine, was recently successfully tested at the Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO) Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram.
The startup is planning a test launch of its two-stage booster Agnibaan in December 2022. And, based on the findings of the test launch, the startup plans to conduct a commercial launch with customer payloads in March or April 2023, Ravichandran said.
"There are a lot of people who have expressed interest to be part of the launch. So I think once our test is done, we will start converting them into like actual contracts," Ravichandran said.
Ravichandran and Moin SPM, an operations specialist, founded the IIT Madras-incubated startup in 2017. It has raised $15 million to date, including $11 million in a Series A round last year backed by investors like venture capital firm Mayfield India and angel investors Anand Mahindra and Nithin Kamath.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, ISRO announced that it has delivered a flight termination system (FTS) to Agnikul Cosmos for Agnibaan on November 7 after rounds of interactions about interfacing, handling etc.
This was also the first time for a system used for ISRO's vehicles to be supplied for a private launch vehicle built in India.. The package will be used for their fully controlled sub-orbital launcher, scheduled to launch from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota.
Engine test at ISRO
To put this in context, this is not the first time Agnikul Cosmos has tested its engine Agnilet. Unlike other rocket engines, Agnilet was built in a single step, eliminating the thousands of parts that are typically assembled in a conventional rocket engine; and they recently obtained a patent for the engine.
Previously, the startup successfully test-fired the engine at their own facility in IIT Madras in early 2021. The latest test, however, is more significant for Agnikul Cosmos since it is conducted at ISRO's facility.
"This test sort of taught us how to do it professionally at the level and at the quality at which an organisation like ISRO would conduct tests. This was a huge learning experience for us as well," Ravichandran said.
Ravichandran, a Wall Street trader turned aerospace engineer, explained that after building rocket engines, they must be tested under various operating conditions, burn times, and so on.
"So we actually built this engine and tested an older version in 2021 at IIT Madras. But we were very keen on doing this at ISRO. Because, the target was to get the same numbers (performance indicators) that we got when we conducted the tests at our facility," he explained.
"That's what we achieved here. We got the exact same results in the ISRO test when compared to the test conducted at our facility," he added.
December test launch and beyond
With the engine passing the ISRO test with flying colours, the startup will now focus on its test launch, which will help in validating other necessary technologies.
"Beyond the engine, you need other things for a launch. We have calibrated our test launch in a way that will validate a lot of technologies such as dynamics, avionics, navigation and so on. We'll see how that goes," he said.
Based on the results of the test launch, Agnikul Cosmos 'should be ready' for a full-scale commercial launch, he added.
On Skyroot Aerospace's planned launch
Hyderabad-based space technology company Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram S will be the first privately-manufactured rocket to launch from the country between November 12 and 16.
However, according to Ravichandran, the planned launch of Agnikul Cosmos will "look and feel quite different." Unlike Skyroot Aerospace's engine, which uses solid fuel, Agnikul Cosmos's engines are semi-cryogenic and utilise liquid propulsion, he explained.
The difference between the two startups also lies in their offerings. "Skyroot Aerospace operate in a higher satellite class. I wouldn't say there's direct competition -- there could be some overlap in the market. But we are catering towards small satellites which directly feel the pain point of going to space," he said.
Overall, Ravichandran sees this planned launch as a testament to the government's efforts to enable private launching in India.
In-SPACE's help
The Indian government established the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (In-SPACE) in 2020 as a single-window autonomous agency under the Department of Space.
Over the last year or so, the regulator has emerged as a focal point for easing communication, integration, and permission-related complexities between government and private space players.
This was also evident in Agnikul Cosmos' engine test at VSSC.
"To conduct any test with and at ISRO, a lot of interfaces have to be figured out. There is a lot of effort involved in making sure that an engine which has been made in some other place can interface with ISRO's test facilities," Ravichandran said.
As a result, there is a lot of back and forth, paperwork, and so on, he explained.
Three key players were involved in this test: the Department of Space, ISRO, and Agnikul Cosmos. In-SPACE ensured that Agnikul Cosmos had everything necessary for ISRO to allow the startup to test at their facility. It also ensured that the startup's requirements in relation to the test were met.
"So there is no framework that's available for taking some engineering hardware that has not been built at ISRO to test at an ISRO facility. So there needs to be a lot of interfacing and In-SPACE has become that face interfacing for us. We are not running and talking around to 10 different entities within ISRO," he added.
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