Agnikul to Attempt Rocket Stage Recovery

Key facts

• Agnikul Cosmos, an Indian private space company incubated at IIT Madras, plans to launch Mission 02 to attempt the country's first orbital-class rocket booster recovery.
• The mission will use a two-stage Agnibaan rocket powered by a 3D-printed semi-cryogenic engine that can be manufactured within a week.
• The first-stage booster will attempt a controlled descent and ocean recovery, while the upper stage will demonstrate a convertible architecture to serve as an in-orbit platform.
• Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman Somanath S has joined Agnikul's board as an observer for the mission.
• Agnikul holds patents in India, the United States, and Europe for its convertible upper-stage technology.
• The company previously conducted a successful suborbital flight (Mission 01) from India's first privately built launchpad at Sriharikota in May 2024.