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Small rocket maker Agnikul Cosmos Private Ltd is looking at overseas rocket ports to launch its rocket with small satellites apart from the Indian rocket launch centres, said a top company official. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="77506716" title="India’s first private player to successfully test a homegrown rocket engine is on track for its first full rocket launch by 2021" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> "Our first preference is to use Indian rocket ports at Sriharikota or the upcoming one at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu (both belonging to the Indian Space Research Organisation). If the customer prefers the launch to happen from some other country, we will ship the rocket and launch from there," Srinath Ravichandran, co-founder and CEO Agnikul Cosmos Pvt Ltd, told IANS. In July 2020, Agnikul signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Italian company Leaf Space for ground station services. Ravichandran said the company has signed up with a launch port in South Australia and is exploring four to five launch ports across the world. The company is hopeful of signing a satellite launch contract in 2021 and the debut launch of its rocket 'Agnibaan' is planned for 2022. Towards roping in customers Agnikul has recently signed up with Germany based HOSTmi - a match making platform between satellite owners and satellite launch companies. "HOSTmi is supported by the European Space Agency to make it easy for European customers to have on-demand access to space," Ravichandran said. According to Ravichandran, Agnikul has already signed MoUs with several European customers - Deployables Cube, Alen Space, Innovative Solutions in Space, Nanoavionics A-A to launch their small satellite systems. Speaking about the status of the Agnibaan rocket, he said the upper stage engine has been realised and work is on for realising the first stage engine, which is bigger in size to give the necessary thrust during the initial stages of the rocket's flight. All the engines will be fired by semi-cryogenic fuel or simply put pure kerosene. The rocket height will be 18 metres and it would weigh about 14 tons at lift off and has a carrying capacity of 100 kg to low earth orbit (LEO). "We will be integrating the rocket stages in a horizontal manner. Horizontal integration is not new for the industry. Our workshop is in IIT Madras Research Park. We will be needing additional space," Ravichandran said. While there is no certifying agency for satellite launchers, Ravichandran said the company has asked ISRO to review their engine. "Having now completed multiple engine firings and igniter hot fire tests, we are now gearing up to a full blown semi-cryogenic engine hot fire test in the coming months," he remarked. Agnikul will buy commercially available navigation systems and modify them to its needs. According to Ravichandran, the global micro, nano and small satellite (satellites weighing 1kg to 150kg) launch market is estimated to be about $2-$3 billion per year. About 500 satellites are being launched across the world and the carrying rate is about $40,000 per kg for low earth orbit. Presently, small satellites are carried as piggyback luggage by bigger rockets. Thus, the waiting time for small satellite makers to put their satellites into orbit is very long. While small rocket players may face competition from agencies having bigger rockets in terms of pricing, Ravichandran said the satellite players will have to look at the opportunity cost of waiting for space in a bigger rocket whereas it may not be so with players like Agnikul. He said Agnikul has raised $4 million in two rounds of funding till date. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/nasa-confirms-that-the-dent-in-earths-protective-shield-is-splitting-into-two-and-it-is-getting-bigger/articleshow/77611768.cms">NASA confirms that the dent in Earth’s protective shield is splitting into two as it gets bigger</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/elon-musks-spacex-catches-falcon-9s-rocket-head-for-the-third-time-in-a-row-with-a-giant-net-out-in-the-middle-of-the-atlantic-ocean/articleshow/77631212.cms">Elon Musk’s SpaceX catches Falcon 9’s rocket head for the third time in a row — with a giant net out in the middle of the Atlantic ocean</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/skyroot-aerospace-successfully-tests-homegrown-rocket-engine-is-on-track-for-its-first-full-rocket-launch-by-2021/articleshow/77506716.cms">India’s first private player to successfully test a homegrown rocket engine is on track for its first full rocket launch by 2021</a>

Indian space startup Agnikul may be looking outside India to launch its rockets

With the government opening up the space sector for private investments, Chennai-based rocket making start-up <keyword id="7122982" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="agnikul-cosmos">Agnikul Cosmos</keyword> Private Ltd is expecting to have its rocket ready by 2022, said a top company official. "We have realised the engine for the upper stage or third stage and work is on for the first and second stage engines of the rocket. We hope to have the engines in seven months' time. Depending on how the Covid-19 lockdown progresses, we expect the rocket to be ready by later part of 2022," Co-founder and CEO Srinath Ravichandran told IANS. Agnikul, he said, is developing a three-stage (three engine) rocket, powered by kerosene or semi-cryogenic fuel with a carrying capacity of 100 kg to low earth orbit. The rocket height will be 18 metres and it would weigh about 13 ton at liftoff. According to Ravichandran, the company will buy commercially-available navigation systems and modify them to its needs. The company, which has 50 employees, is currently working out of the National Centre for Combustion Research and Development located at Indian Institute of Technology-Madras. Ravichandran said that Agnikul has raised about Rs 26 crore till date from various investors and the promoters have also put in their own funds. Agreeing that the money in rocket launch services is very low compared to that in satellite application service and ground equipment, Ravichandran said: "The estimated market for small satellite launches is about $ 2-2.5 million per year. This market will grow when there are rockets available for putting into orbit small satellites." Presently, small satellites are carried as piggyback luggage by bigger rockets. Thus, the waiting time for small satellite makers to put their satellites into orbit is very long. "But if there are rockets available to launch small satellites, then the market for such satellites and also for small rockets will increase," Ravichandran said. While small rocket players may face competition from agencies having bigger rockets in terms of pricing, Ravichandran said the satellite players will have to look at the opportunity cost of waiting for the space in a bigger rocket whereas it may be not be so with players like Agnikul. Currently the US-based Rocket Lab is the only player in the segment that Agnikul is targeting. "By 2022, more number of such small rockets are expected to come into the satellite launch vehicle market," Ravichandran said. As regards the rocket ports, Agnikul will be looking at using the existing rocket port at Sriharikota belonging to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) or the one that is coming up at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu. Happy at the Indian government's decision to open up the space sector for private players Ravichandran said the proposed Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) should have technical experts so that valid proposals are taken forward as well as marketing people who understand business. According to the Indian government, IN-SPACe will provide a level playing field for private companies to use Indian space infrastructure.

Indian start-up is building a three-stage rocket that could be ready to launch by 2022

As part of its plan to launch its rocket from foreign rocket ports, Chennai-based small rocket-maker <keyword id="7122982" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="agnikul-cosmos">Agnikul Cosmos</keyword> Private Ltd on Wednesday said that it has signed an agreement with the <keyword id="10026792" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="alaska-aerospace">Alaska Aerospace</keyword> Corporation. In a tweet, Agnikul Cosmos said: "It's exactly 1 year since we presented our #MadeInIndia solution to honourable PM Shri @narendramodi ji. Today, humbled to take our homegrown product further as a global solution to customers across the world. Thank you, Alaska Aerospace." As per the agreement, Agnikul Cosmos will test-launch its 'Agnibaan' rocket from Alaska Aerospace's Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaskar on Kodiak Island in the US. Agnikul Cosmos, which is developing a small rocket with a capacity to carry 100 kg satellite into low earth orbit, said that the ability to launch from high latitude launch ports is a significant advantage. "Our first preference is to use Indian rocket ports at Sriharikota or the upcoming one at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu (both belonging to the Indian Space Research Organisation). If the customer prefers the launch to happen from some other country, we will ship the rocket and launch from there," Srinath Ravichandran, co-founder and CEO Agnikul Cosmos had told IANS earlier. In July 2020, Agnikul signed an MoU with Italian company Leaf Space for ground station services. Ravichandran had said the company has signed up with a launch port in south Australia and is exploring four to five launch ports across the world. The company is hopeful of signing a satellite launch contract in 2021 and the debut launch of its 'Agnibaan' rocket is planned for 2022. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/babri-masjid-demolition-case-cbi-special-court-acquits-all-accused-judge-says-demolition-was-not-pre-planned/articleshow/78401534.cms">Babri Masjid demolition case: CBI Special Court acquits all accused, judge says ‘demolition was not pre-planned’</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/rbi-records-its-largest-ever-current-account-surplus-but-thats-not-necessarily-a-good-thing/articleshow/78403696.cms">RBI records its largest-ever current account surplus — but that’s not necessarily a good thing</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/airtel-launches-new-cybersecurity-product-with-cisco-radware-vmware-and-forcepoint-for-enterprises-it-took-100-crore-and-over-a-year-to-set-up/articleshow/78403006.cms">Airtel launches new cybersecurity product with CISCO, Radware, VMware, and Forcepoint for enterprises — it took ₹100 crore and over a year to set up</a>

Agnikul Cosmos signs up with US-based Alaska Aerospace to test rocket

The day is not far when <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> will see its own mega private aerospace company like Elon Musk-owns SpaceX or <keyword id="12232315" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jeff-bezos-run" source="Orion">Jeff Bezos-run</keyword> Blue Origin, taking travellers to the edge of space and beyond, <keyword id="12180756" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="srinath-ravichandran" source="Orion">Srinath Ravichandran</keyword>, co-founder and CEO of rocket startup AgniKul Cosmos, has envisioned. In a chat with IANS, Ravichandran who is ecstatic after Agnikul Cosmos was granted access to the Indian Space Research Organisation (<keyword id="6358064" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="isro" source="Orion">ISRO</keyword>) facilities and expertise for the development and testing of systems and subsystems of its rockets, said that the pact with ISRO will allow them to ultilise its facilities to test out various sub-systems of their launch vehicle. "This will, in turn, help us with reduced capital expenditure and expedited testing," he said. "India can have its own SpaceX or Blue Origin kind of mega private space firm in the near future. There is so much support from the government and investors are open to invest too in the homegrown spacetech startups," Ravichandran added. The next step, he added, will be to aim multiple launches per year and scale to the extent of having a launch once in two-three weeks. "Beyond that would be about making the vehicles more efficient, thereby providing even cheaper access to customers. We are doing this through a mix of innovations on various technologies in the vehicle," Ravichandran informed. Last month, Chennai-based Agnikul Cosmos received the nod by the Department of Space to carry out multiple tests and qualify its single piece 3D-printed semi-cryogenic engine and other systems of its rocket at various ISRO centres. This is the second pact that the Department of Space has signed with a rocket maker, after the first with Hyderabad-based <keyword id="7537495" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="skyroot-aerospace" source="Orion">Skyroot Aerospace</keyword> on September 11. According to Ravichandran, their rocket engines are 100 per cent 3D-printed, that too in a single shot. "This allows us to directly assemble what comes out of the 3D printer in our launch vehicle. The big advantage of this is the ability to provide and enable rapid launch access and, at the same time, make customisable launch vehicles," elaborated Ravichandran. He formed the startup with Moin SPM within IIT-Madras with a seed funding of Rs 3 crore, with an aim to develop and launch its first rocket in 2021 and subsequently develop ability to provide launch service for satellites. The current investors in the spacetech startup are Mayfield India, PI Ventures, Speciale Invest, Beenext, Artha and others. In June, India decided to allow private companies to establish and operate rocket launch sites within and outside the country, subject to prior authorisation from the government. Similarly, any rocket launch (orbital or sub-orbital) from Indian or overseas territory can be carried out only with authorisation from Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Center (IN-SPACe), an independent body constituted by the Government of India, under the Department of Space (DOS). The launch could be from own or leased launch site and also from mobile platforms (land, sea or air) as per the Draft National Space Transportation Policy-2020 brought out by the Department of Space. "Now that we also have to plan the entire engine building facility in-house, we are confident that we can control engine making end-to-end in India, thereby not only enabling 'make in India' but also 'design in India'," Ravichandran told IANS. He said that anyone who wants to do a space tech startup should do it today. "Right now is the best time to do a spacetech startup in India. The government has been very forthcoming in terms of the help provided to enable private missions and now would be a good time to get started to get things done," Ravichandran noted. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/adar-poonawalla-backed-pharmacy-chain-wellness-forever-files-for-ipo/articleshow/86699746.cms">Adar Poonawalla-backed pharmacy chain Wellness Forever files for IPO</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/top-earners-at-ritesh-agarwal-led-oyo-as-per-its-drhp/slidelist/86682750.cms">OYO’s Ritesh Agarwal took home ₹1.6 crore in FY2021 — here are the top earners in the IPO-bound company</a>

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Indian space startup Agnikul may be looking outside India to launch its rockets

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Indian start-up is building a three-stage rocket that could be ready to launch by 2022

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Agnikul Cosmos signs up with US-based Alaska Aerospace to test rocket

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India set to witness its SpaceX moment soon, says Agnikul CEO

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