AgniKul Cosmos
Indian private aerospace startup developing small-lift launch vehicles.
AgniKul Cosmos Private Limited is an Indian private aerospace manufacturer and commercial launch service provider based at the National Centre for Combustion Research and Development of IIT Madras in Chennai. The startup aims to develop and launch its own small-lift launch vehicle, the Agnibaan, which is designed to place a 100 kg payload into a 700 km orbit. It became notable for launching the first suborbital test vehicle on 30 May 2024, achieving the world's first flight with a single-piece 3D-printed engine, India's first semi-cryo engine launch, and India's first launch from a private launch pad.
Quick Facts
- Industry
- Space
- Founders
- Srinath Ravichandran
- Moin SPM
- Satyanaryan Chakravarthy
- Janardhana Raju
- Founded
- 1 December 2017
- Headquarters
- National Centre for Combustion Research and Development, IIT Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
- Country
- India
- Products
- Agnibaan SOrTeD
- Agnibaan
- Satellite propulsion systems
- Services
- Launch service provider
Facts from the source article.
History
The company was founded within IIT Madras by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM, Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy, and Janardhana Raju, with seed funding and the goal of launching its first rocket in 2021 and later providing launch services for satellites up to 100 kg. By the end of 2020, the startup had raised nearly $4 million and sought advisory from ISRO. A Non-Disclosure Agreement was signed with the Department of Space to obtain government technological assistance. Although an agreement with Alaska Aerospace Corporation to launch from the Kodiak Launch Complex was reached due to the lack of a commercial launch pad in India, the deal eventually fizzled out. Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra Group, invested an unspecified amount in a personal capacity. In September 2021, AgniKul signed a framework agreement with the Department of Space for access to ISRO facilities and technical expertise for developing its two-stage small-satellite Agnibaan launch vehicle. On 7 November 2022, the company bought its first Flight Termination System from ISRO for use in the Agnibaan launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre. In October 2023, AgniKul raised $26.7 million in a Series B funding round, bringing total capital raised to $40 million. Reports from March 2026 placed the company's valuation at over $500 million. Following the success of the Agnibaan SOrTeD mission, the co-founder and CEO stated that the company is perfecting technology for firing several engines simultaneously and conducting stage separation experiments, and that construction of rigs would take six to seven months, with the first orbital launch occurring three months after rig construction is complete. The company also inaugurated a Large Format Additive Metal Manufacturing facility housing India's largest 3D metal printer dedicated to rocket components.
Hardware
The Agnibaan is a mobile launch system designed to place a 100 kg satellite into a 700 km orbit. It uses clustered engines on the first stage in various configurations depending on payload, and employs only liquid oxygen and kerosene-based engines. A single-stage suborbital demonstrator, nicknamed Agnibaan SOrTeD, was successfully launched on 30 May 2024 as a suborbital test flight, confirming the use of Linux-based flight computers and an Ethernet-based architecture, a first for Indian rockets. The Agnibaan distinguishes itself by using an electric pump-fed cycle, employing high-discharge brushless DC motors to drive propellant pumps, eliminating the need for pre-burners or gas generators. This simplifies internal plumbing and enables a plug-and-play approach to engine clustering. The system runs on a semi-cryogenic propellant combination of sub-cooled LOX and Aviation Turbine Fuel. A primary technical advantage is software-defined throttling, where electric motor speed is adjusted near-instantaneously via flight algorithms. These electric pumps feed single-piece 3D-printed engines made of Inconel, such as the Agnilet and the larger Agnite booster, which stands one metre tall. The integration of additive manufacturing and electric propulsion allows production of a complete engine in as little as seven days.
Launch pad and mission control centre
On 28 November 2022, AgniKul Cosmos opened India’s first privately owned launch pad and mission control centre at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The two facilities are separated by 4 kilometres. The launch pad is currently designed to support liquid-stage launch vehicles. Every critical system at the Agnikul launch pad and mission control centre includes high redundancy to guarantee full operational capability, though none of these systems have yet been tested. During launches from the pad, ISRO’s range operations team will oversee essential flight safety parameters, while the mission control centre can exchange critical data with ISRO’s Mission Control Center. Both facilities operate with backing from ISRO and the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre.
Industry collaboration
On 9 September 2024, Nibe Space, a division of Nibe Defence and Aerospace, signed an agreement with AgniKul Cosmos, Skyroot Aerospace, Centum Electronics, SpaceFields, Sisir Radar, CYRAN AI Solutions, and Larsen & Toubro for launching India's first constellation of multi-sensor, all-weather, high-revisit Earth observation satellites. In July 2026, AgniKul Cosmos signed a memorandum of understanding with Finnish space technology company ICEYE to jointly develop, launch, and operate synthetic aperture radar Earth observation satellites from India, combining AgniKul's launch capabilities with ICEYE's SAR satellite technology for commercial missions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded AgniKul Cosmos?
AgniKul Cosmos was founded by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM, Satyanaryan Chakravarthy and Janardhana Raju.
When was AgniKul Cosmos founded?
AgniKul Cosmos was founded on 1 December 2017.
Where is AgniKul Cosmos headquartered?
AgniKul Cosmos is headquartered in National Centre for Combustion Research and Development, IIT Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
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