New Delhi: ISRO has announced that Agnikul Cosmos has successfully launched the Agnibaan rocket. This is the second test flight of a private Indian launch vehicle after Vikram-S launch by Skyroot Aerospace in November 2022. Agnikul Cosmos attempted to launch the Suborbital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD) test flight two days ago, but the launch was called off twice because of irregularities during the pre-launch procedures.


The launch took place from the Agnikul Launch Pad 1 (ALP-1) at ISRO’s spaceport in Sriharikota. In preparation for the launch and operations, Agnikul Cosmos had set up its own launch pad and mission control centre in 2022. The facilities are expected to be used by other private launch services providers in the future. Unlike the previous launch attempt, IN-SPACe did not livestream the launch.

Objectives of The Mission

According to the planned flight profile, the Agnibaan rocket will use thrust vectoring on its gimballed motors to control the vertical ascent, reaching an altitude of eight kilometres, before splashing down in the Bay of Bengal, about 30 kilometres from the launch pad. This is a test flight to evaluate the capabilities of the launch vehicle, and there is no payload on board. The rocket uses the world’s first single unit 3D printed Agnilet engine. This innovative engine can be produced within three days, allowing Agnikul Cosmos to potentially provide on-demand launches from anywhere.

The lift-off was followed by slight pitch over manoeuvre in the initial part of the flight, followed by a wing biasing manoeuvre, about 40 seconds after the launch. These manoeuvres were meant to test the controls of the rocket, including the autopilot. After about 70 seconds, the avionics were tested while the vehicle maintained its trajectory. The rocket then reached its apogee, the highest point during the flight. After that, the rocket tumbled down into the Bay of Bengal.

(With Input From Agencies)