Agnikul Cosmos, a IIT Madras-based aerospace manufacturer, launched the firm’s first rocket from India’s only private launchpad, which is located at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on May 30, 2024. Agnikul Cosmos had designed the launchpad, and is responsible for its operation. It was inaugurated in November 2022. Agnikul Cosmos’s Agnibaan SOrTeD is the first mission to be launched from the launchpad since it was inaugurated.
Agnibaan SOrTeD, where SOrTeD stands for SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator, is a single-stage rocket powered by the Agnilet semi-cryogenic engine. It took off at 7:15 am IST on May 30.
All about the mission
Traditional sounding rockets, also known as research or suborbital rockets, are launched using guide rails, which are tracks that guide a rocket from its launch point into the air. However, Agnibaan SOrTeD, despite being a traditional sounding rocket, lifted off vertically. It also followed a predetermined trajectory and performed a precisely orchestrated set of manoeuvres during flight.
Agnibaan, which means “arrow of fire” in Sanskrit, is a customisable vehicle. Agnikul Cosmos carefully designed the rocket to ensure reliability, flexibility, controllability, and stability.
Agnibaan SOrTeD has one stage, but since Agnibaan is customisable, it can have up to three stages.
The liftoff mass of the three-stage Agnibaan is 14,000 kilograms, height is 18 metres diameter is 1.3 metres, and the maximum weight of payloads it can carry is 100 kilograms. Payloads can be carried up to 700-kilometre low-Earth orbit.
The third stage is called the baby stage, which is an optional stage located inside the payload fairing, and has an envelope large enough for most satellite needs.
The second stage is powered by the Agnilet vacuum engine, the same engine that powers the first stage.
As many as seven Agnilet engines, each delivering 25 kiloNewtons of thrust, power the first stage, each running on electricity.
