Agnibaan Explained

Agnibaan Launch Vehicle
Function:Launch Vehicle
Manufacturer:AgniKul Cosmos
Country-Origin:India
Stages:2-3
Leo-Payload:Altitude Orbital inclination 45.0°Mass
Status:Under Development
Stage1engines:4/5/6/7 × Agnilet (Customizable)
Stage1thrust:140 kN (sea level)
Stage1time:285 sec
Stage1fuel:LOX/ RP-1
Stage2engines:1 × Agnilet
Stage2thrust:25 kN (sea level)
Stage2time:355 sec
Stage2fuel:LOX / RP-1
Stage3engines:1 × Agnilet
Stage3fuel:LOX / RP-1

Agnibaan (Sanskrit, ISO: 'Fire', 'Arrow',), produced by Agnikul Cosmos in Chennai, India, is a mobile small-lift launch system currently under development. It is capable of placing a 100 kg (220 lb) satellite into a 700 km (430 mi) orbit. The rocket will be 18 meters long with a diameter of 1.3 meters and a lift-off mass of 14,000 kg (31,000 lb).[1] [2] The Agnibaan rocket has three stages. The first stage is powered by seven Agnilet engines.[3] The second stage is powered by the same Agnilet engine which will have a larger nozzle than the sea level nozzle to optimize it for vacuum.

Design

Engines

Agnibaan will use clustered engines in various configurations in the first stage, depending on the payload. It will also use a vacuum optimized version of the Agnilet in the second stage. These engines use liquid oxygen and Kerosene their oxidizer and fuel.[4] The first stage of the Agnibaan is powered by 7 Agnite engines, each with a thrust of 25 kN (yet to be tested) at sea level.

These are all electric-pump-fed engines allowing for simplified engine design and highly configurable engine clustering architectures. It is capable of operating with a sea-level Isp of 285 seconds. The entire combustion section is a single-piece assembly and is fully 3D printed. The second stage of the vehicle also uses an Agnilet engine optimized for vacuum use. It is thought to deliver up to 355 seconds of Isp in a vacuum. An optional infant stage sits inside the payload fairing.

Launch site

It is being built with the capability to launch from multiple launch ports across the world in mind. "Dhanush" (Sanskrit, ISO:,) - the launch pedestal is being designed to support full mobility across all configurations of Agnibaan. As opposed to (current versions of) Agnibaan, Dhanush is meant for reusability. Dimensions of Dhanush are designed keeping in mind road dimensions and transportability restrictions globally.

Schedule

The company previously aimed to develop and launch its first rocket in 2021. A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) was signed with the Department of Space to obtain the government's technological assistance in the development of launch vehicles on 3 December 2020. However, the company entered into an agreement with Alaska Aerospace Corporation to launch a rocket from Kodiak Launch Complex as a commercial launch pad to test rockets was not available in India.[5] "We are planning to test launch our rocket Agnibaan before 2022 end. Our plan is to launch the rocket from a mobile launch pad. The test launch will happen from India's rocket port Sriharikota belonging to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)", said Srinath Ravichandran, co-founder and CEO, Agnikul Cosmos. No rocket was launched in 2022.

Launch history

Test variant

See main article: articles and Agnibaan SOrTeD. A test flight of knocked down version of the rocket Agnibaan SORTeD successfully flew on a suborbital mission on 30 May 2024 from SDSC,[6] [7] [8] after being postponed several times due to many issues.[9]

See also

Rockets of similar class

Notes and References

  1. Web site: IIT Madras-based Start-up Agnikul Cosmos unveils Made in India Rocket Engine at Dubai. 2022-01-23. ANI News. en.
  2. News: Kandavel. Sangeetha. 2021-02-10. City startup fires single-piece 3D-printed rocket engine. en-IN. The Hindu. 2022-01-23. 0971-751X.
  3. Web site: 2021-02-09. Indian start-up Agnikul successfully test-fires fully 3-D printed semi-cryo rocket engine. 2022-01-23. Zee News. en.
  4. Web site: Agnikul. 2022-01-23. agnikul.in.
  5. News: Narasimhan. T. E.. 2020-10-01. Agnikul signs agreement with Alaska Aerospace to test launch its rocket. Business Standard India. 2022-01-23.
  6. Web site: 2024-03-09 . Indian private rocket company Agnikul plans to launch sub-orbital mission by March-end . 2024-03-14 . Business Today . hi.
  7. Web site: Nigam . Saumya . 2024-03-10 . Agnikul set to conduct sub-orbital mission by end of March News – India TV . 2024-03-14 . www.indiatvnews.com . en.
  8. Web site: 2024-03-10 . In the year of Gaganyaan, private space sector too set to make a big splash . 2024-03-14 . The Indian Express . en.
  9. Web site: 2024-04-06 . India's space startup Agnikul delays maiden rocket launch again . 2024-04-30 . . en-US.