Agnibaan SOrTeD

• Chennai-based start-up AgniKul Cosmos has commenced the process of integrating its cutting-edge Agnibaan SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator (SOrTeD) at its private launchpad located at the iconic Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR in Sriharikota off the coast of Andhra Pradesh.
• A successful launch would make AgniKul the second Indian spacetech start-up to send its launch vehicle into space after Skyroot Aerospace (with Vikram-S rocket) .
• Agnibaan SOrTeD is a single-stage launch vehicle powered by AgniKul’s patented Agnilet engine, which is an entirely 3D-printed, single-piece, 6 kilonewton (kN) semi-cryogenic engine.
  • It uses a mixture of liquid kerosene at room temperature and supercold liquid oxygen as propellant.
  • The Agnilet engine is the world’s sole single-piece 3D-printed engine.
• However, unlike traditional sounding rockets that launch from guide rails, Agnibaan SOrTeD will lift-off vertically and follow a predetermined trajectory to perform a precisely orchestrated set of manoeuvres during flight.
• The flight events have been configured to validate key technologies integral to the success of the company’s upcoming orbital flights.
• It is equipped to haul payloads of up to 100 kilos to a 700 km distance in the LEO.
• The vehicle is 18 m in height, 1.3 m in diameter, and has a liftoff mass of 14,000 kg.
• The payload envelope measures 2m x 1.5m and can carry one or more satellites.

ABOUT AGNIKUL COSMOS

• Established in 2017 by aerospace engineers Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM, along with IIT-Madras faculty member Prof. Sathyanarayan R Chakravarthy, Agnikul emerged as the first Indian company to sign an agreement with ISRO in December 2020.
• This landmark partnership allowed the start-up access to ISRO’s knowledge base and resources.