a private space company, Agnikul Cosmos, carried out the first successful launch of its indigenously-built rocket last week, opening up a new chapter in India’s space sector. WAS THIS THE FIRST PRIVATE LAUNCH? This was not the first time that an Indian private company had flown a rocket from Indian soil. WHAT WAS THE FIRST PRIVATE PROJECT? In November 2022, Skyroot Aerospace, successfully launched a rocket which it has named Vikram, after Vikram Sarabhai, the legendary space leader credited with building ISRO in the initial years. CAPABILITIES OF AGNIBAN The rocket flown on Thursday will eventually have several variants, capable of carrying payloads between 30 kg and 300 kg to lower earth orbits. The Skyroot rocket, Vikram, also has a few variants, with similar capabilities. Both of these are targeting the small satellite market to cater to a rapidly growing demand for a variety of space-based applications in areas as diverse as communications, broadcasting, disaster management, climate change, earth and ocean observation, urban planning, and surveillance. These satellites are usually not meant for space exploration or scientific experiments. IS ISRO WITHDRAWING ITSELF FROM THE SPACE SECTOR? No. The efforts of these private players will be in complementary with ISRO’s efforts. ISRO itself is developing a new rocket, called SSLV or Small Satellite Launch Vehicle, to serve this demand. SSLV, which has flown twice but only once with success, is slightly more powerful and can carry payloads up to 500 kg.

UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENTS OF AGNIBAN

  • Its semi-cryogenic engine is entirely 3D printed. The engine does not have any components or moving parts at all. There are no joints, no welding, and no fusing. It is a smooth single piece of hardware. The use of 3D printing in space hardware is not a novel idea. But no one has used an entire engine that is 3D printed.
  • The fact that Agnibaan was launched from a privately owned launch pad is a first for India. Thus far, all space launches were carried out from one of the two ISRO launch pads at Sriharikota.
    • Agnikul, the company, has built its own launch pad inside the Sriharikota range with the help of ISRO.

BENEFITS OF 3D PRINTING

  • 3D printing can increase efficiency.
  • It can bring down costs, and reduce the probability of something going wrong.
  • In an engine that is an assembly of several moving points, each joint or wiring is a potential source of error.
  • Agnibaan’s engine, named Agnilet, has been an entirely in-house development.