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38 min ago 3 min read
India-based private space startup Agnikul Cosmos (Agnikul) has successfully test fired four 3D printed semi-cryogenic rocket engines at once as a ‘clustered system’ which could advance development of lower cost launch vehicles.
The test also marks a step towards the development of Agnikul’s modular launch vehicle, Agnibaan, which it launched into suborbital space in 2024 as part of a test project named Agnibaan SOrTeD.
According to Co-Founder and CEO Srinath Ravichandran, the latest test involved calibrating eight pumps, eight motors, and tuning eight speed control algorithms to work together in “perfect sync”.
“All the four engines are 3D printed as single pieces of hardware – designed and manufactured in-house at AgniKul Cosmos Rocket Factory – 1,” he added.
The company has ramped up its test-firing capabilities over the past year. In 2025, Agnikul fired up for a 25-second test which showed the engines being throttled across a range of thrusts by varying the speed of the electric motor.
In November, the startup to boost production of its 3D-printed engine technology. The funding round took the Chennai-based firm’s valuation to $500m.
The firing of the engines involved liquid oxygen and liquid hydrocarbon fuel, while the additive manufacturing process behind the 3D printed components relied on specialty gases such as argon and high-purity nitrogen used in laser powder-bed fusion systems.
This process, also known as additive manufacturing, is used to build parts, such as the engine and pump subsystems, layer-by-layer.
Semi-cryogenic propulsion systems typically combine liquid oxygen with refined hydrocarbon fuels and are viewed as cheaper and easier to manufacture than fully cryogenic engines.
Clustered engine systems are also viewed as an important step towards scaling launch vehicle payload capacity, while additive manufacturing is increasingly being adopted across the aerospace sector to reduce component counts, shorten production times, and lower manufacturing costs.
Agnikul plans eventually to build fully reusable rockets, allowing it to offer satellite-launch services at competitive prices.
India has opened its space sector to greater private participation in recent years through reforms overseen by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).
