Agnibaan

About Agnibaan

- Agnibaan is a two-stage launch vehicle designed to be highly customisable and capable of carrying a 300 kg payload to a 700 km orbit.
- The Agnilet engine used in the Agnibaan is the world’s first semi-cryogenic rocket engine that uses sub-cooled liquid oxygen and Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF).
- It is also India’s first semi-cryogenic engine-powered rocket launch and the world’s first single piece 3D-printed engine designed and built indigenously.

Single piece using 3D printing means that the entire part was made as one continuous piece using a 3D printer, rather than being assembled from multiple parts.

Agnikul Cosmos is the second private company in India to achieve this. The private company that first accomplished this was Skyroot Aerospace, which launched the Vikram S in November 2022.
Agnibaan SOrTeD is India’s first launch from a private launchpad, called ‘Dhanush’, established by Agnikul.

Related information

Difference between cryogenic and semi-cryogenic engine

A cryogenic rocket engine is a rocket engine that uses a cryogenic fuel and oxidizer; that is, both its fuel and oxidizer are gases which have been liquefied and are stored at very low temperatures.
A semi-cryogenic engine uses liquid oxygen (which is very cold) and regular fuel, like kerosene or ATF, while a cryogenic engine uses both liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, both of which are extremely cold.
The main difference is that semi-cryogenic engines use less cold fuel, making them simpler and cheaper to handle and store compared to cryogenic engines.
Cryogenic engines are generally more powerful because liquid hydrogen provides a higher specific impulse, meaning more thrust per unit of fuel, making them more efficient for long-distance missions or heavier payloads.
Semi-cryogenic engines are often used in the initial stages of a rocket for their cost-effectiveness and simpler handling, whereas cryogenic engines are used in the later stages for their higher efficiency and greater power needed to place satellites into higher orbits or for deep space missions.
Semi-cryogenic engine technology has not yet been demonstrated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in any of its rockets.

3D Printing

3D printing is a process where a machine creates objects layer by layer from a digital model, using materials like plastic or metal. This method can make the part stronger and more reliable.

Why in news?

Agnikul Cosmos Private Ltd., a chennai based space startup launched the world’s first rocket — Agnibaan Sub Orbital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD) — with a single-piece 3D-printed engine from Sriharikota.
- Sub-orbital means a flight path that goes into space but doesn’t complete an orbit around Earth. The vehicle reaches space, typically above 100 kilometres, and then returns without circling the planet.

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