Agnikul Cosmos Private Limited launched the world’s first rocket with a single piece 3D-printed engine from Sriharikota on May 30, 2024.
- Agnibaan SOrTeD ( Sub Orbital Technology Demonstrator) is India’s first launch from a private launchpad, called ‘Dhanush’, established by Agnikul.
- It is also India’s first semi-cryogenic engine-powered rocket launch and the world’s first single piece 3D-printed engine designed and built indigenously.
- The key purpose of this mission is to serve as a test flight, to demonstrate in-house and home-grown technologies, gather crucial flight data and ensure optimal functioning of systems for Agnikul’s orbital launch vehicle, the ‘Agnibaan’.
- The IIT-Madras incubated start-up had originally planned the launch for April 7 but had to postpone it 129 seconds before the lift-off due to some technical glitches.
Agnikul Cosmos
- It was founded in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM, and Satya Chakravarthy.
- Agnikul Cosmos became the first company in the country to sign an agreement with ISRO under the IN-SPACe initiative to have access to the space agency’s expertise and its facilities to build Agnibaan in December 2020.
Semi cryogenic engine
- Cryogenic engines, such as the one on the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), use a propellant combination of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen which have been liquefied and are stored at very low temperatures.
- A cryogenic engine/cryogenic stage is the last stage of space launch vehicles which makes use of cryogenics to store its fuel (liquid hydrogen) and oxidiser (liquid oxygen) as liquids instead of gas.
- The semi-cryo system, on the other hand, uses refined kerosene (a rocket-grade version named ISROSENE by ISRO) and liquid oxygen.
- It is designed to provide heavy-lift capability to future space transportation systems like the New Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV).
- The advantage of using a semi-cryogenic engine is that it requires refined kerosene, which is lighter than liquid fuel and can be stored at a normal temperature. One of the options before ISRO is to replace the liquid core (L110) engine of the GSLV MK III with a semi-cryogenic engine to boost the rocket’s payload capacity from four to six tonnes.
