Agnikul launches world’s first Rocket with 3D-printed rocket engine

Chennai-based startup Agnikul Cosmos has launched the world’s first space rocket with a single-piece three-dimensional (3D) printed engine. After four failed attempts, Agnikul succeeded in launching its own rocket into space on its fifth attempt. The rocket named Agnibaan is India’s first semi-cryogenic engine-powered rocket launch, which was completely designed and manufactured indigenously.

Agnikul used Inconel material to build the 3D-printed rocket. Inconel is an alloy that is oxidation-corrosion-resistant and well-suited for space travel.

Second private company to launch a rocket in Space 

Agnikul became the second Indian private company to launch its rocket in space.  The first private company to launch a rocket was the Hyderabad startup Skyroot Aerospace. It launched its indigenously developed Vikram-S rocket from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Sriharikota launchpad. 

Agnikul Rocket Agnibaan and Rocket Engine Agnilet 

The Agnibaan rocket is a customisable two-stage rocket with a height of about 20 meters. The rocket can carry a payload of up to 300 kg to the low earth orbits (LEO) roughly 700 km above Earth. Agnibaan is a SOrTeD (SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator) that has a plug-and-play configuration. The plug-and-play configuration means that the rocket can be expanded or shrunk depending on the satellite that is to be taken to space.

The rocket uses liquid propellant-liquid oxygen or kerosene.

Agnikul's patented Agnilet engine is the world's first single-piece 3D-printed engine. The Agnilet engine was designed, tested and manufactured in India and was successfully test-fired in 2021.

About Agnikul and its achievement 

Agmikul Cosmos was founded by Moin SPM and Srinath Ravichandran in 2017 and incubated at IIT Madras. The company builds small launch vehicles for commercial space missions and designs, manufactures, tests, and launches orbital-class rockets for micro and nanosatellites.

The Startup was the first company in India to build a factory capable of manufacturing 3D-printed rockets.

Agnikul designed and developed India’s first privately built rocket launchpad, ‘Dhanush,’ in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The launchpad is located in ISRO’s Satish Dhawan Space Center-SHAR (SDSC-SHAR) Sriharikota spaceport.ISRO launches its rocket from SDSC-SHAR.

The launchpad was built with the help of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe).