Indian startup Agnikul successfully launched a rocket with an engine printed on a 3D printer in the form of a single block. This historical launch took place in late May from the east coast of India. The engine was manufactured in just 72 hours, opening new opportunities for “launches on demand” for small satellite operators.
Agnikul, located in Chennai, is not the only company actively using 3D printing in the space industry. Companies Relativity Space and Rocket Lab also use this method for creating their own missiles. However, unlike them, Agnikul prints its engines entirely, significantly accelerating the production process.
On May 30, the company carried out the first suborbital launch with a new engine. A single-stage missile started from the Satish Dhawan space center on the island of Srikharikota in Andhra Pradesh, reaching a height of 6.5 kilometers and landing in the ocean.
“The launch was very successful,” said COO and Operating Director of the company Moin SPM. “Mission goals were achieved which gives us confidence in our technologies.”
The first commercial product from Agnikul will be a two-stage missile Agnibaan, 18 meters high, equipped with eight engines and capable of delivering a 300-kilogram payload to a height of about 700 kilometers. During the May test, a missile 6 meters high with one engine was used, equivalent to the second stage of Agnibaan.
The recent demonstration launch allowed Agnikul Cosmos to successfully test all key subsystems necessary for an orbital launch, including the on-board computer, avionic, navigation systems, management, and a specially built launching pad.
The team achieved the goal of 6 kilonewtons of thrust and carried out trajectory correction maneuvers during the flight, considering the influence of the wind. In addition to technical achievements, they gained valuable experience in production processes and launching operations.
The engine manufacturing using metal printing on equipment from