Agnibaan SOrTeD (short form of SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator)[1] is a planned suborbital test-flight of the Agnibaan launch vehicle, manufactured by Indian space startup Agnikul Cosmos.[2][3][4][5]
| Function | Sounding Rocket |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | AgniKul Cosmos |
| Country of origin | India |
| Size | |
| Height | 6.2 m |
| Mass | 575 kg |
| Stages | 1 |
| Associated rockets | |
| Based on | Agnibaan |
| Launch history | |
| Status | April 2024 |
| First flight | TBA |
| First stage | |
| Engines | 1x Agnilet engine |
| Burn time | 70 seconds |
| Propellant | LOX and Aviation Turbine Fuel |
Description edit
The SOrTeD mission is a single-stage launch vehicle demonstration that will be powered by a semi-cryogenic engine called the Agnilet. The test flight will last just over two minutes The 6.2 meter-tall vehicle will have an elliptical nose cone at the top to protect the package from harsh conditions during the flight.[6]
Unlike traditional sounding rockets that typically launch from guide rails, Agnibaan SOrTeD will lift off vertically and follow 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.[7][8]
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 will be achieved through two-plane gimballing, and together, these systems will enable controlled vertical ascent.The company has integrated Agnibaan SOrTeD with the flight termination system developed by ISRO.[6]
The Mission will take place from India's first private launchpad, located close to ISRO facilities near SDSC. Agnikul has received authorization to establish a unique launch pad near the sea on Sriharikota island, complete with its dedicated control room. The pad has received the name"Dhanush" and referred as ALP-01.[9][7] Agnikul will become the Second Indian private spaceflight company to test it's orbital launch system, following Skyroot Aerospace and their Vikram-S rocket.[10][11]
The 580 kilogram rocket, will lift off from Sriharikota and in the first flight could go only as high as 20 kilometers above the Earth, before plunging down into the Bay of Bengal and may carry upto 7 kg of payloads[9][7].The data that it will provide will help engineers fine-tune and shape the development of the Agnibaan launch vehicle.[6]It was initially planned to launch at 7 AM IST on 22nd March 2024 but was postponed.[12]
Mission History edit
On 21st March, 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] Agnikul Cosmos has not yet indicated a revised schedule for the flight. The pre-launch procedures begin 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][12]The company postponed another test on 6th April while conducting pre-launch checks.[18]
Flight description edit
Following lift-off, the vehicle would have 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.[6]
The vehicle would have then gone 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, Agnikul expects the vehicle to reach apogee, the point it will be farthest from the launch site before it splashes down at just over two minutes into flight which would have marked the completion of the mission.[6]
See also edit
Rockets with similar role edit
References edit
- ^ "Agnikul". agnikul.in. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
- ^ "What is Agnibaan? The new private rocket set to be tested by Agnikul". India Today. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b c d e "How Agnikul's two-minute-long mission could give India a new launch vehicle". India Today. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ a b c "Indian space startup gears up for ambitious rocket launch: Key things to know". Moneycontrol. 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ "Agnikul Cosmos to launch rocket from own launchpad". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ a b "Space Startup Agnikul Ready For Its Sub-Orbital Rocket Launch On Friday". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Agnikul Cosmos to conduct maiden test launch of Agnibaan on Friday". India Today. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ a b "Agnibaan Mission Postponed! India's Second Privately Developed Rocket Faces Technical Snag". TimesNow. 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ https://twitter.com/AgnikulCosmos/status/1770738814639608168?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
- ^ "Agnikul Cosmos defers launch of Agnibaan 3D printed rocket". News9live. 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ "Launch of first 3D printed satellite by Agnikul Cosmos cancelled". Moneycontrol. 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ "AgniKul Cosmos postpones maiden rocket launch due to 'technical issue'". Zee Business. 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ^ "Agnikul's maiden test launch of Agnibaan Sorted mission postponed". India Today. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ^ Reuters; ThePrint (2024-04-06). "India's space startup Agnikul delays maiden rocket launch again". ThePrint. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
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