A two-stage orbital launch vehicle called Agnibaan was launched on May 30, powered by India's first proprietary one-piece 3D printed semi-cryogenic engines, developed and incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras. developed by space technology startup Agnikul, incubated at IIT Madras Incubation Cell and showcased at a startup expo during DST's Startup Utsav in August 2022.
The startup operates at the National Center for Combustion Research and Development (NCCRD) at IIT Madras, which is supported by the DST.
"Working from the NCCRD, the Chennai-based startup has developed a range of technologies that can improve the reliability of space engines and accelerate their manufacturing, facilitating the organization of space missions," the DST said.
The startup successfully launched its first inaugural mission (Agnibaan Sub-Orbital Technology Demonstrator), a single-stage vehicle powered by a single pressure-fed semi-cryogenic engine that has been used for Agnibaan.
This effort was carried out from India's first private launch pad at SDSC SHAR. NCCRD has been the training ground for Agnikul, where they learned the intricacies of building a rocket and this helped the startup figure out the technology in the initial phases.
Another DST-funded Technology Innovation Hub (TIH), Pravartak Technologies of IIT Madras, has become its partner to develop and commercialize technologies for space and deep space, the department mentioned.
"They used the technologies they had developed to start manufacturing the engines at the company's additive manufacturing facility at IIT Madras Research Park," he said.
The DST's TBI (Technology Business Incubator) supported startup established India's first private launch pad along with a Mission Control Center at the Sriharikota field. The DST mentioned that the launch of Agnibaan SorTeD helped achieve the world's first flight with a patented one-piece rocket motor.
The startup operates at the National Center for Combustion Research and Development (NCCRD) at IIT Madras, which is supported by the DST.
"Working from the NCCRD, the Chennai-based startup has developed a range of technologies that can improve the reliability of space engines and accelerate their manufacturing, facilitating the organization of space missions," the DST said.
The startup successfully launched its first inaugural mission (Agnibaan Sub-Orbital Technology Demonstrator), a single-stage vehicle powered by a single pressure-fed semi-cryogenic engine that has been used for Agnibaan.
This effort was carried out from India's first private launch pad at SDSC SHAR. NCCRD has been the training ground for Agnikul, where they learned the intricacies of building a rocket and this helped the startup figure out the technology in the initial phases.
Another DST-funded Technology Innovation Hub (TIH), Pravartak Technologies of IIT Madras, has become its partner to develop and commercialize technologies for space and deep space, the department mentioned.
"They used the technologies they had developed to start manufacturing the engines at the company's additive manufacturing facility at IIT Madras Research Park," he said.
The DST's TBI (Technology Business Incubator) supported startup established India's first private launch pad along with a Mission Control Center at the Sriharikota field. The DST mentioned that the launch of Agnibaan SorTeD helped achieve the world's first flight with a patented one-piece rocket motor.
