ISRO assists in successful test fire of Agnikul Cosmos' fully 3D-printed rocket engine

Chennai-based private space startup Agnikul Cosmos successfully carried out a hot test fire of its rocket engine under the assistance of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). In an official statement on November 8, ISRO revealed that the test was conducted successfully at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram on November 4 at the Vertical Test Facility, Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS).

The agency fired Agnikul’s fully 3D-printed second-stage rocket engine Agnilet for a duration of 15 seconds. Agnilet is a regeneratively cooled 1.4 kN semi-cryogenic engine that uses Liquid oxygen and Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) as propellants. According to Agnikul, the engine is capable of generating 3kN of thrust at sea level and would propel the upper stage of Agnibaan, the company's under-development launch vehicle. 

"Humbled to announce that we successfully test fired one version of our patented technology based single piece, fully 3d printed, 2nd stage semi cryo engine - Agnilet - at VSSC (sic)", Agnikul tweeted announcing the milestone. "Besides validating our in-house tech, this is also a huge step for us in understanding how to design, develop & fire rocket engines at a professional level", it further said.

ISRO assisted the space startup in the test fire as part of the MOU which opens the former's facilities to budding companies through IN-SPACe. Short for Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre, IN-SPACe is the newly created agency under the Department of Space that oversees and promotes the private space sector in India. 

As for Agnikul Cosmos, the company was officially established in 2017 and has been firing its engines since 2018. With ISRO and IIT Madras as major partners, Agnikul inaugurated its Rocket Factory- 1, India’s first facility dedicated to 3D print rocket engines at IIT-Madras Research Park.