Space technology start-up Agnikul Cosmos has inaugurated a first-of-its-kind additive manufacturing facility in India for aerospace and rocket systems. The facility provides an integrated ecosystem covering design, simulation, printing, post-processing, and finishing of launch vehicles. This initiative aims to improve supply chain resilience while reducing manufacturing costs by fifty per cent.
For the first time in India, the facility allows 3D printing of aerospace and rocket components up to one metre in height. This capability enables Agnikul to produce parts that were previously considered difficult for additive manufacturing. The facility will also include an indigenously developed de-powdering machine, a crucial post-processing system that ensures surface finish and space-grade quality for all printed components.
“Quality, repeatability and reliability are key for the space sector. So for certain sensitive components of launch vehicles, we should have capacity in-house and by creating capability to build more parts of the vehicle in-house, we are bringing more under our own control. There are a lot of parts in a launch vehicle that could be 3D-printed if the machines are available at that size and if the capacity is there,” Srinath Ravichandran, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Agnikul Cosmos, said.
Agnikul holds a United States patent for single-piece 3D-printed rocket engines. The new facility will allow the company to print engines measuring one metre and deliver seven times the thrust of its earlier designs. Engines can now be manufactured in-house within days.
Moin SPM, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, said, “Our goal has always been to make access to space reliable and cost-effective. With this facility in place, we are advancing our own launch readiness and also helping shape the foundation for a self-sustaining and globally competitive space industry in India.”
In May 2024, Agnikul successfully launched its 3D-printed Agnibaan-SOrTeD rocket from Sriharikota. This marked the world’s first launch of a rocket with a single-piece 3D-printed engine and the first use of a semi-cryogenic engine for an Indian rocket launch.
Regarding the first commercial launch, Ravichandran stated that “they are trying to get it out soon” while maintaining the focus on ensuring quality across all aspects of the launch vehicle.
He added, “In the last three to four years one thing that has changed is customers are getting more specific about the orbits they want to fly to. So, that means even if there are a lot of large rockets out there, not all rockets are available for a ride for the customer.”
Agnikul is supported by global and domestic investors, including Celesta Capital, Rocketship VC, Artha Venture Fund, Artha Select Fund, Mayfield India, Pi Ventures, and Speciale Invest, with a total capital raise of forty-five million dollars to date. Agnikul team has grown from around 250 members in 2024 to over 300 members currently.
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