Wikipedia

Agnibaan SOrTeD

Agnibaan SOrTeD (short form of SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator)[2] is a suborbital technological demonstrator of the Agnibaan launch vehicle, manufactured by Indian space startup Agnikul Cosmos.[3][4][5][6]

Agnibaan-SORTED
FunctionSounding Rocket
ManufacturerAgniKul Cosmos
Country of originIndia
Size
Height6.2 m
Mass575 kg
Stages1
Associated rockets
Based onAgnibaan
ComparableVikram-S,Black Brant (rocket),Rohini (rocket family)
Launch history
StatusFuture unknown
Launch sitesALP-01
Total launches1
Success(es)1
First flight30 May 2024
First stage
Engines1x Agnilet engine
Thrust6.215 kN (1,397 lbf)[1]
Specific impulse186.5 seconds
Burn time70 seconds
PropellantLOX and Aviation Turbine Fuel
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Description

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The SOrTeD mission is a single-stage launch vehicle demonstration that is powered by a semi-cryogenic engine called the Agnilet. The 6.2 meter-tall vehicle has an elliptical nose cone at the top to protect the package from harsh conditions during the flight.[7]

Unlike traditional sounding rockets that typically launch from guide rails, Agnibaan SOrTeD lifts off vertically and follows a predetermined trajectory while executing a precisely coordinated series of maneuvers during flight. This innovative approach sets Agnibaan apart and highlights the advanced technology and capabilities employed by Agnikul Cosmos for its maiden sub-orbital flight.[8][9]

For Flight control the vehicle is equipped with four carbon composite fins to provide passive control. Agnikul has said that the active pitch and yaw control is achieved through two-plane gimballing, and together, these systems enable controlled vertical ascent.The company has integrated Agnibaan SOrTeD with the flight termination system developed by ISRO.[7]
Agnikul had previously received authorization to establish a unique launch pad near the sea on Sriharikota island, alongside its dedicated control room. The pad has received the name Dhanush and referred as ALP-01.[10][8] Agnikul is the second Indian private spaceflight company to test its orbital launch system, following Skyroot Aerospace, who launched their Vikram-S rocket.[11][12]

Agnibaan SOrTeD-01

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Delays

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On 21 March 2024, a day before launch, the official handle for Agnikul Cosmos posted on X that they deferred the launch based on certain minor observations they observed from the full countdown rehearsals the previous night.[13] The pre-launch procedures began ten hours before liftoff, with the filling of the fuel tanks, deployment of balloons for assessing winds at various altitudes, uploading the programme to the flight computer and getting a final clearance from the launch directors.[14][15][16][17][18] The company postponed another test on 6 April 2024 while conducting pre-launch checks.[19] Another launch attempt on 28 May 2024, was also called off, less than a minute before lift-off.[20] The launch date was then fixed to 30 May 2024 for a fifth launch attempt.

Launch

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The mission successfully lifted off on 30 May 2024 at 7:15 AM IST[21][22] from India's first private launchpad ALP-01 located close to ISRO facilities near SDSC.

The 580 kilogram rocket, with a thrust of 6.25 kN and propellant flow rate of 3.3 kg/s  , lifted off from Sriharikota and in the first flight and travelled as high as 20 kilometers above the Earth, before plunging down into the Bay of Bengal and carried about 7 kg of payloads .[10][8] The data that it provides would help engineers fine-tune and shape the development of the Agnibaan launch vehicle, which is expected to fly by the last quarter of 2025.[7][23]

Flight description

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Following lift-off, the vehicle performed a pitch-over manoeuvre nearly four seconds into flight. This manoeuvre involves the controlled rotation of the vehicle to change its orientation from vertical to a predetermined angle with respect to the ground or its flight path.[7]

The vehicle then went into the wind biasing manoeuvre at just over 39 seconds, which is introduced in rockets to compensate for the effects of wind on the trajectory of the rocket during ascent. At about 1 minute and 29 seconds into the flight, the rocket reached apogee, the point at which it is farthest from the launch site, before it splashes down at just over two minutes into flight, marking the completion of the mission.[7]

See also

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Rockets with similar role

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References

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  1. ^ Livestrea, IITM (28 August 2024). "National Space Day at IITM". The Financial Express. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Agnikul". agnikul.in. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  3. ^ "What is Agnibaan? The new private rocket set to be tested by Agnikul". India Today. 11 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  4. ^ "In the year of Gaganyaan, private space sector too set to make a big splash". The Indian Express. 2024-03-10. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  5. ^ Nigam, Saumya (2024-03-10). "Agnikul set to conduct sub-orbital mission by end of March | News – India TV". www.indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  6. ^ "Indian private rocket company Agnikul plans to launch sub-orbital mission by March-end". Business Today (in Hindi). 2024-03-09. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  7. ^ a b c d e "How Agnikul's two-minute-long mission could give India a new launch vehicle". India Today. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  8. ^ a b c "Indian space startup gears up for ambitious rocket launch: Key things to know". Moneycontrol. 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  9. ^ "Agnikul Cosmos to launch rocket from own launchpad". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  10. ^ a b "Space Startup Agnikul Ready For Its Sub-Orbital Rocket Launch On Friday". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  11. ^ Kandavel, Sangeetha (2024-03-19). "Tamil Nadu creates history with India's second privately developed rocket". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  12. ^ "Agnikul Cosmos to conduct maiden test launch of Agnibaan on Friday". India Today. 20 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  13. ^ https://twitter.com/AgnikulCosmos/status/1770738814639608168?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
  14. ^ "Agnikul Cosmos defers launch of Agnibaan 3D printed rocket". News9live. 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  15. ^ "Launch of first 3D printed satellite by Agnikul Cosmos cancelled". Moneycontrol. 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  16. ^ "AgniKul Cosmos postpones maiden rocket launch due to 'technical issue'". Zee Business. 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  17. ^ "Agnikul's maiden test launch of Agnibaan Sorted mission postponed". India Today. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  18. ^ "Agnibaan Mission Postponed! India's Second Privately Developed Rocket Faces Technical Snag". TimesNow. 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  19. ^ "India's space startup Agnikul delays maiden rocket launch again". ThePrint. 2024-04-06. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  20. ^ "Chennai Start-Up's Rocket Launch, Game-Changer For Space Tech, Called Off". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  21. ^ "PM Modi's Shoutout As Chennai Start-Up Scripts Rocket History On 5th Try". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  22. ^ Sivapriyan, E. T. B. "'Major milestone': Agnikul carries out successful sub-orbital launch of Agnibaan, India's second privately-built rocket". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  23. ^ "Space startup Agnikul Cosmos flies world's first 3D-printed rocket engine in fifth attempt". The Indian Express. 2024-05-30. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
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