Agnikul Cosmos Halts Maiden Rocket Launch Plan for Fourth Time in a Row: Report

Chennai-based space start-up Agnikul Cosmos has called off the maiden launch of its rocket for the fourth time. It was called off just a few seconds before the launch, as per a report by Reuters. 

Three previous attempts to launch India's second privately constructed rocket—the first to employ both gas and liquid fuel—had been aborted due to technical problems, with one mission being canceled just ninety seconds before takeoff. 

The launch was supposed to take place at around 5:45 a.m. However, it was delayed due to technical glitch in counting activities. Following it, the new time for the lift-off was 9:25 a.m. Just five seconds before the lift-off, the launch was out temporarily to check the igniter's performance. Eventually, it was called off totally. 

It was anticipated that the trip, which tested the new "semi-cryogenic" engine and 3D-printed parts, would last two minutes. A semi-cryogenic engine, which uses a mixture of liquid and gas as propellant, has not yet been flown successfully by India's Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). If it had been successful, it would have been a technological milestone for the country.

Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aersopace made space history in 2022 when it launched the nation's first private spacecraft. Similar to the launch of Agnikul, Skyroot's 2022 launch served as a technology demonstration. 

Agnikul was founded in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM, Satyanaryan Chakravarthy, and Janardhana Raju. The company runs the first privately owned launchpad in the country as well as a mission control center. Other launchpads are operated by ISRO. In October 2023, the start-up said that it had raised an additional $26.7 million in funding. 

Recently, in an exclusive conversation with Outlook Business, Srinath Ravichandran, the co-founder and chief executive of Agnikul Cosmos, said, “Overall, space technology has become more accepted. It was almost like an offbeat idea in 2017 when we started. Today, it's an interesting sector to bet on for VCs and investors.”