Agnikul Cosmos Successfully Conducts India’s First Electric Motor-Driven Semi-Cryogenic Engine Test Firing.
Science and Technology
On 23rd May 2025, Chennai-based space start-up AgniKul Cosmos Private Limited successfully conducted India’s first test firing of an electric motor-driven semi-cryogenic engine, intended to power its upcoming Agnibaan launch vehicle.
- This is the first time such an engine has been developed and tested in India. The engine uses electric motor-driven throttling, allowing higher accuracy and rapid response crucial for complex space mission trajectories, demonstrated by its ability to throttle across a wide range of thrust levels.
- AgniKul Cosmos designed the engine with a unique single-piece design and several pump sub-systems that were 3D-printed and assembled at their Rocket Factory-1 located in IIT Madras Research Park, Chennai.
- The company also developed the motor drives and control software for the engine internally, showcasing strong capabilities in hardware and software integration.
Main Point :- (i) This successful firing is a key milestone that may lead to clustered engine tests—firing multiple engines simultaneously—essential for building larger, more powerful launch vehicles capable of carrying heavier payloads.
(ii) The event highlights AgniKul Cosmos’s dedication to innovation and India's self-reliance in space technology, contributing significantly to the domestic space propulsion ecosystem.
(iii) Semi-cryogenic engines use a combination of cryogenic Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and refined kerosene (RP-1) as fuel, offering higher efficiency than solid or hypergolic-fueled engines. AgniKul’s engine is India’s first homegrown electric motor-driven semi-cryogenic engine, a technology already used globally in rockets like SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Russia’s Soyuz.
About Agnikul Cosmos Private Limited
CEO : Srinath Ravichandran
Headquarters : Tamil Nadu (TN)
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