Chennai-based space startup Agnikul Cosmos has moved a step closer to commercialising its launch capabilities after successfully test-firing four 3D-printed semi-cryogenic rocket engines simultaneously, a milestone the company says validates the scalability of its modular rocket architecture.
The test, conducted last week, follows a phased series of engine cluster firings undertaken by the company over the past year and is expected to support its efforts to build rockets configured according to customer requirements rather than fixed launch vehicle sizes.
“This gives us a lot of confidence to scale in a non-linear way. In the latter part of last year, we started test firing clusters gradually starting with a two-engine, three-engine firing and now we achieved four,” Srinath Ravichandran, co-founder and CEO of Agnikul Cosmos, told Fe.
Breaking Fixed-Size Norms
The company said the engine cluster approach allows it to vary the number of engines depending on payload requirements, enabling a customised launch model for customers carrying satellites of different sizes.
“We configure the number of engines in our mission based on what the customer wants. For a heavier satellite, we fly with more engines. For a lighter satellite, we fly with less engines,” Ravichandran said.
He added that existing launch systems generally rely on fixed-size rockets, forcing customers to fit payloads into available capacity.
“Currently, what happens is there is one fixed-size rocket and everyone has to fit into it. So if there is any excess capacity, the customer ends up paying for that excess capacity. We wanted to break that norm and instead build a rocket suited for the customer. Now we have shown that we can reliably launch cluster engines in whatever numbers, getting us much closer to the commercial launch,” he said.
Aggressive Launch Targets
The IIT-Madras incubated startup is also targeting a significant increase in launch activity, with plans to undertake 50 launches annually by 2028.
As part of its longer-term roadmap, the company is also exploring reusable orbital launch systems. Ravichandran said Agnikul is evaluating ways to reuse upper stages of rockets, which are typically discarded after launch, in an attempt to reduce hardware wastage and improve economics.
The company is also in discussions to raise fresh capital after securing $17 million in a funding round in November last year at a valuation of $500 million. Ravichandran said investor appetite for space technology startups has changed significantly over the past few years, with early-stage funding becoming easier to access as the domestic private space ecosystem matures.