 "Agnikul’s first test flight: Time for private sector to be wings of Indian space industry")
Agnikul’s first rocket, Agnibaan SOrTeD, completed its maiden suborbital test flight, marking a significant milestone for the Indian private space industry.
Launch Vehicle Startups in India
Accessing space is now easier than ever, creating new growth and innovation opportunities. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle ( SSLV) to enable quick and flexible on-demand launches, complementing its existing fleet of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicles (GSLV) for heavier payloads.
The private space industry in India is also making significant strides in improving the country’s launch capabilities. Leading the charge are the two startups, Skyroot and Agnikul. In 2022, Skyroot tested a suborbital-sounding rocket from Sriharikota. Following suit, Agnikul has successfully carried out its maiden suborbital flight test. Despite being 18 months behind Skyroot, Agnikul has tested a more advanced rocket in its fifth attempt.
Semi-Cryogenic Advantage
Agnibaan is a rocket powered by a 3D-printed semi-cryogenic engine. Cryogenic and semi-cryogenic rocket engines offer much higher energy density and specific impulse than traditional solid- and liquid-fueled engines. Specific impulse measures the engine’s efficiency in converting propellant to thrust. It is essentially the rocket’s ‘mileage’. Semi-cryogenic engines are the most popular rocket engines used today. Compared to solid-fuelled variants, semi-cryogenic engines allow for higher variability of thrust—the ability to throttle.
They also offer a higher thrust-to-weight ratio than liquid-fueled engines. Additionally, propellant storage and handling are simpler in semi-cryogenic rockets than in liquid-fueled ones. This is also true for cryogenic rockets that use liquid hydrogen, which needs to be stored in heavy insulation tanks. Semi-cryogenic engines use denser liquid kerosene, which can be stored in a smaller volume, reducing the overall weight of the engine and the launch vehicle. ISRO also plans to use a semi-cryogenic stage in its LVM3 to boost its payload capacity.
Impact Shorts
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Agnibaan launched from a private launch pad in India. Agnikul was granted permission to build its launch pad at Sriharikota as part of ISRO’s initiative to open up its facilities to the private sector. The mobile launch platform Dhanush eliminates the need for satellite payloads to be transported to the launch site, allowing the launch pad to move closer to the payload and offering significant benefits for last-mile launch delivery.
There are key strategic advantages, too. All spacecraft, after being launched, must pass through a precise point on the opposite side of the globe, called an antipodal point, before completing their first orbit. Potential adversaries could blockade this antipodal point of well-known spaceports such as Sriharikota or the upcoming Kulasekarapattinam, thereby cutting off India’s access to orbit. However, the capability to launch from any location enables India to overcome this vulnerability.
Need for Heavy Launch Capabilities
In the rapidly evolving field of satellite and space technology, there is a growing demand for dedicated small satellite launches. This is where Agnikul plans to come in by providing dedicated, optimised launch vehicles for small payloads to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) that can be launched from potentially anywhere. However, heavy launch missions have significant advantages over dedicated ones. For instance, multiple smaller payloads can be launched together on heavy launch vehicles, which makes these missions significantly cheaper.
Although smaller payloads currently have limited flexibility in ride-sharing arrangements, this will improve with the emergence of more spaceports and frequent launches in the years to come. Companies like SpaceX are aiming for one launch of their super-heavy Starship vehicle every day.
Heavy launch vehicles can reduce the need for expensive efforts to reduce the size and weight of satellites. This lowers barriers and opens access to space to more players, empowering the entire space economy. The ISRO has already begun developing heavy launch capability with the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) for space stations and manned moon missions. Now, it is time for the private industry to follow suit and invest in developing their own heavy launch vehicles to propel the space industry forward.
The writer, a Research Analyst at the Takshashila Institution, undertakes research on space economy. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.
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