CHENNAI: Chennai-based AgniKul Cosmos, an end-to-end space transportation company, has recently completed a critical booster engine test of its engine, Agnite, demonstrating large-scale 3D printing of rocket engines at an unprecedented level.
Unlike traditional engines that take several months to manufacture, AgniKul’s engines can be fully 3D printed in just seven days. This dramatically reduces production complexity and turnaround time. This capability translates directly into faster launch responsiveness, enabling AgniKul to support missions on significantly shorter notice than the industry norm.
For satellite operators, this means access to secure firm launch schedules, access to custom orbital trajectories, and the ability to plan missions with a level of certainty that shared launch arrangements cannot offer.
Speaking to TNIE about potential business growth for the company, Moin SPM, co-founder & COO of AgniKul Cosmos, said, “One of the best things about the engine that we have fired is, it's a liquid engine. So, it allows us to do recovery and reusability of the rocket itself. So, because it can do multiple tests or multiple starts that allows us to actually do both ascent and descent in a rocket.”
These reusability and recovery features of the rocket help AgniKul to join the list of Elon Musk-owned SpaceX and Jeff Bezoz’s Blue Origin. In India, AgniKul would be the first space tech company to have a reusability feature associated with its rocket.
The tested engine is a full meter long engine – the largest Inconel rocket engine ever built as a single piece and the first of its scale to be tested with electric motor driven pumps, marking a pivotal advance in Agnikul's propulsion development.
Validated at Agnikul’s in-house test facility in Chennai, the system reflects a focus on scalable, high-performance engineering designed to support faster launch readiness and consistent execution. Through this innovation, the space tech startup now operates a fully integrated launch ecosystem, in-house mission control, dedicated ground stations and flight-proven propulsion systems, the company said in a press release.
For satellite operators in critical sectors such as defence and disaster response, where launch timelines are closely tied to operational outcomes, Agnikul's offering enables planning around committed launch windows, precise satellite placement, and the flexibility to accommodate payload changes up to 30 days before flight, providing greater control compared to traditional shared launch options.