The record
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- Chennai-based space startup AgniKul Cosmos is targeting early 2027 for its Mission 2, which aims to place a commercial payload in orbit and recover the rocket's lower stage for reuse, with the lower stage designed to attempt a vertical landing on a barge in the Bay of Bengal after lifting off from Sriharikota.
- The company says the architecture for the reusable launch vehicle is almost frozen and all the technology pieces for reusability are in place.
- Success would put the startup in the same league as SpaceX and mark a breakthrough in launch economics for the Indian space tech sector, with co-founder and COO Moin SPM saying reuse could allow around 25 launches from five rockets built.
- Since its maiden launch in May 2024, AgniKul has completed cluster testing of its 3D-printed engines by firing up to four together and reports strong customer visibility driven by growth in Indian satellite companies and global demand for launch services.
What to watch next
- Movement of mission hardware to the launch location, expected possibly this year, with the launch itself dependent on monsoons and pending approvals.
- The next big milestone: replicating the exact flight configuration of the engine cluster after testing up to four engines together.
- Establishment of the company's upcoming unit near Thoothukudi by the time of the Mission 2 timeline.
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Named India · Bay of Bengal · Chennai · Sriharikota · Thoothukudi · Agnikul Cosmos · Agnilet · EOS · IIT-Madras · ISRO · Moin SPM · Saraniya Periaswamy · Skyroot
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