Summary
Agnibaan (Agni - Fire, Baan - Arrow, lit. 'Arrow of fire'), produced by Agnikul Cosmos in Chennai, India, is a mobile 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 rocket is supposed to be manufactured by 3D printing as a whole.[3][4] The Agnibaan rocket has three stages. The first stage is powered by seven Agnilet engines.[1] 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.[2]
 | |
| Function | Launch Vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | AgniKul Cosmos |
| Country of origin | India |
| Size | |
| Height | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Diameter | 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) |
| Mass | 14,000 kg (31,000 lb) |
| Stages | 2-3 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | Altitude 700 km (430 mi)
Orbital inclination 45.0° Mass 100 kg (220 lb) |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Under Development |
| First flight | September 2023 (Planned) |
| First stage | |
| Engines | 4/5/6/7 × Agnilet (Customizable) |
| Thrust | 140 kN (sea level) |
| Burn time | 285 sec |
| Propellant | LOX / RP-1 |
| Second stage | |
| Engines | 1 × Agnilet |
| Thrust | 25 kN (sea level) |
| Burn time | 355 sec |
| Propellant | LOX / RP-1 |
| Third stage | |
| Engines | 1 × Agnilet |
| Propellant | LOX / RP-1 |
Design edit
Engines edit
Agnibaan will use clustered engines on the first stage in various configurations depending upon the payload. It will also use a vacuum optimized version of the Agnilet in the second stage. These engines use liquid oxygen and Kerosene as its oxidizer and fuel.[1][2] 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.[2]
Launch site edit
It is being built keeping in mind the capability to launch from multiple launch ports across the world. "Dhanush" - 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.[2]
Schedule edit
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. Although, the company entered an agreement with Alaska Aerospace Corp. 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 edit
| S.No | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Q3 2024 | Agnibaan | Satish Dhawan ALP | 
|
Low Earth | TBA | Planned | Maiden flight of Agnibaan rocket. |
| 2. | Q4 2024 | Agnibaan | Satish Dhawan ALP |
|
Low Earth | TBA | Planned |
An test flight of a knocked down vershion of the Rocket, called Agnibaan SORTeD is also expected to take flight by March 22-28 2024 from SDSC.[6][7][8]
See also edit
Rockets of similar class edit
References edit
- ^ a b c "Indian start-up Agnikul successfully test-fires fully 3-D printed semi-cryo rocket engine". Zee News. 2021-02-09. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
- ^ a b c d e "Agnikul". agnikul.in. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
- ^ "IIT Madras-based Start-up Agnikul Cosmos unveils Made in India Rocket Engine at Dubai". ANI News. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
- ^ Kandavel, Sangeetha (2021-02-10). "City startup fires single-piece 3D-printed rocket engine". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
- ^ Narasimhan, T. E. (2020-10-01). "Agnikul signs agreement with Alaska Aerospace to test launch its rocket". Business Standard India. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
- ^ "Indian private rocket company Agnikul plans to launch sub-orbital mission by March-end". Business Today (in Hindi). 2024-03-09. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ Nigam, Saumya (2024-03-10). "Agnikul set to conduct sub-orbital mission by end of March | News – India TV". www.indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ "In the year of Gaganyaan, private space sector too set to make a big splash". The Indian Express. 2024-03-10. Retrieved 2024-03-14.