Chennai-based AgniKul Cosmos had to put a hold on scheduled demonstration test just seconds before lift-off
AgniKul Cosmos, an Indian spacetech private startup based in Chennai, canceled the scheduled launch on Tuesday of its single-stage rocket powered by a 3D-printed semi-cryogenic engine, the fourth such attempt to be called off.
The mission, called ‘Agnibaan SOrTeD’ (Suborbital Tech Demonstrator), was aborted just seconds before lift-off. This latest postponement of AgniKul’s maiden rocket launch continues has a series of technical issues that has plagued the project.
The rocket, weighing 575 kilograms (about 1,270 lbs) and standing 6.2 meters or just over twenty feet tall, was supposed to lift off from Sriharikota, an island in the Bay of Bengal, and then to plunge into the bay, the area being a key site for India’s satellite-launching activities.
Incubated at IIT-Madras, AgniKul Cosmos was founded in 2017 by two young aerospace engineers with a vision to create a place “where people learn to use fire,” according to its website. With the operationalization of Agnibaan rockets, the company aims to offer launch-on-demand services, putting into orbit satellites of up to 300 kilos (about 660lbs).
Fourth Time Unlucky For Indian Rocket Launch
Agnikul Cosmos pulled the plug, Tuesday, on their latest attempt only 5 seconds before takeoff.
The rocket, with a "semi-cryogenic" engine and 3D-printed parts, is India's second privately built rocket and would mark a first for the… pic.twitter.com/iWIiV2dLMv