Chennai-based startup Agnikul Cosmos has made India proud with a world-class achievement in rocket technology.
The company successfully test-fired three powerful rocket engines at the same time, all working perfectly together, marking a huge step for India’s growing private space industry.
A 62-second video, released by the company, showed bright orange flames bursting out as the engines roared to life, stayed steady, and shut down smoothly. All controlled like a well-rehearsed dance.
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE HISTORIC TEST?
The three engines are called semi-cryogenic types, meaning they run on super-cold liquid oxygen and regular kerosene fuel.
Each one was 3D-printed as a single solid piece at Agnikul’s own Rocket Factory-1 in Chennai, with no joints or extra parts needed.
Six electric motors and pumps fed the fuel precisely, with smart computer programs keeping everything in perfect sync for startup, full power, and safe shutdown.
This is India’s first-ever cluster test of such engines by a private firm. The test was done with strong support from Isro and IN-SPACe.
WHY IS THE TEST SIGNIFICANT?
Firing engines together proves they can team up to create more thrust, which is essential for lifting heavier satellites into orbit.
Old-style tests check one engine alone, but this shows real teamwork under fire.
It highlights how private companies, backed by government help, are speeding up India’s self-reliant space dreams and making launches cheaper and faster.
Imagine a rocket engine as a super-strong flamethrower that pushes the vehicle upward. Traditional engines have dozens of welded parts that can fail.
Conersely, Agnikul’s Agnilet engines are printed in one go using advanced 3D technology, making them lighter, stronger, and quicker to build. Electric motors, instead of heavy old pumps, control fuel flow like adjusting a car’s accelerator.
The fuel mix gives better performance than solid fuels used in many older rockets, and it’s safer and cheaper too.
This smart design cuts costs and lets rockets be custom-built for different missions.
WHAT IS THE AGNIBAAN ROCKET?
Agnibaan is Agnikul’s flagship small rocket, about 18 metres tall, designed to carry 100–500 kg satellites to 700 km high orbit.
Its first stage can use up to seven of these engines clustered together, while the second stage uses one.
The company already flew a test version with a single engine in 2024 from India’s first private launch pad at Sriharikota.
This new triple-engine test brings them much closer to full orbital flights, where Agnibaan can launch dedicated missions quickly and affordably – no more waiting for shared rides on big government rockets.
Four IIT Madras alumni founded Agnikul in 2017 with a simple dream to make space launches easy and cheap for everyone.
With funding from investors and strong guidance from Isro, they have a significant step towards their aim of up to 100 launches per year by 2030 with reusable tech.
This exciting test is more than just flames and smoke. It is proof that India’s private space sector is ready to reach for the stars, quite literally.
With more such milestones, affordable satellite launches could soon become routine, opening doors for science, communication, and business across the country.
