No first-time launch vehicle has gone through so much: Agnikul Cosmos' Chakravarthy

Professor Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy of IIT Madras, and co-founder of Agnikul Cosmos

"I don't think any first-time launch vehicle, in the world, has gone through so much," said Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy, co-founder of Agnikul Cosmos and a professor at IIT Madras, after Agnibaan SOrTeD, the startup's maiden rocket, successfully launched into space.

While Agnikul is the second private Indian entity to launch a rocket, the Chennai-based startup's achievement gains significance because it is powered by India's first semi-cryogenic engine, which uses a mix of liquid and gas for propellant.

The startup had been attempting to launch Agnibaan SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator (SOrTeD) since March, and in the five attempts made since then, the rocket had to be transported multiple times from its facility in IIT Madras Research Park to the startup's private launchpad in Sriharikota.

"It has been to the launch pad 2-3 times in the last few months. It has gone through a lot of weathering. It is not just the salty air because the launch pad is right by the beach, but it also had to deal with water splashes," Chakravarthy said.

"We have been very fortunate that none of those things affected by us. I don't think any vehicle in the world has been exposed so much," he added.

Salty air and water splashes can significantly harm rockets by accelerating metal corrosion, causing short circuits and corrosion in electronics, degrading thermal insulation and ablative materials, and impairing mechanical systems and composite materials. These effects can result in structural weakness, electrical failures, and mechanical issues.

Usually, rockets have an outer coating which protects against elements of the weather. Chakravarthy, however, said that first time launches usually skip these steps because the key objective of the launch is just to demonstrate the technology.

"Particularly first time around you don't weather proof so much. The ISRO for instance, if you look at PSLV, the first launch was in 1994, but the first rainproof vehicle was in 2004. These things make a huge difference," Chakravarthy said.

Chakravarthy had been hospitalised for illness for a few days, missing the physical presence at the startup's launchpad and command center in Sriharikota on May 30. However, he was in touch with officials throughout the mission's preparations.

He recounted that when the startup was making their first attempt on March 22, they "missed the countdown". After similar such issues three more times, the startup attempted for the fourth time on May 28.

"On May 28, there were two launch holds. First at 6.15 am and for the second one at 9.25 am, we came close to less than 10 seconds. And when you have to call it off that  close, we realised that the issue must been something very silly. And we were right! The team was able to solve it, and we had the confidence to go ahead with the launch so soon," he told Moneycontrol.

Despite the numerous attempts that Agnikul has made for the launch of this rocket, Satyanarayanan noted that it was a maiden launch that was successful. "Despite all the attempts, this was a maiden success. The first time you are crafting a rocket, it will mostly fail. This actually turned into a text book launch," he added.

Chakravarthy, a serial entrepreneur, is a co-founder in at least five other deep tech startups incubated at IIT-Madras, apart from Agnikul Cosmos. These include ePlane, GalaxEye, Aerostrovilos Energy, TuTr Hyperloop, and X2Fuels.

His journey with Agnikul began in 2016, when the startup was being incubated at the IIT Madras Research Park headed by Ashok Jhunjhunwala. When Srinath Ravichandran, CEO of Agnikul, presented him with the idea of 3D printing in rocket manufacturing, he was sold. “It was crazy. I just jumped at the opportunity,” he said.