AgniKul ‘Agnibaan SOrTeD’ Mission

• For the second time, the launch of AgniKul ‘Agnibaan SOrTeD’ has been postponed.
• The IIT Madras-based Agnikul Cosmos was to test-fire an Agnibaan rocket with 3D-printed engine, aiming for suborbital flight trajectory control.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

• The Agnibaan SOrTeD is a customisable launch vehicle that could be launched in one or two stages. It is powered by AgniKul’s patented Agnilet engine.
• The rocket, weighing 580 kilograms, aimed to reach an altitude of 20 kilometers above the Earth before descending into the Bay of Bengal, carrying up to 7 kg of payloads.
• Agnikul Cosmos has been at the forefront of India’s burgeoning private space sector, with ambitions to provide customisable and transportable launch vehicles for small satellites to Low Earth Orbits (LEO).
• The Agnibaan rocket, capable of carrying up to 100kg to orbits around 700 km high, represents a significant step towards achieving this goal.
• Its unique propulsion system, powered by a semi-cryogenic engine using Aircraft Turbine Fuel and liquid oxygen, sets a new standard in the industry.

AGNILET ENGINE:

• Agnilet engine, a 3D-printed, single-piece, 6 kN semi-cryogenic marvel, drives Agnibaan’s The engine employs a novel blend of liquid kerosene and supercold liquid oxygen as propellants.