Agnikul Cosmos launches new 3D printing facility for rockets in Chennai
Chennai-based space start-up Agnikul Cosmos has set up a new additive manufacturing (3D printing) facility to speed up the production of aerospace and rocket systems. The company said the facility will make it possible to build complex designs faster, with less material waste and almost 50% lower cost.
The centre brings together the entire process from design and simulation to printing, post-processing, and finishing all under one roof. For the first time in India, the facility can also 3D print aerospace and rocket components up to one metre in height. This will allow production of flight-ready hardware in just a few days, something earlier considered difficult through additive manufacturing.
The company has also developed its own de-powdering machine to make post-processing smoother.
“Agnikul was started with the goal of making space accessible to everyone,” said Srinath Ravichandran, Co-founder & CEO of Agnikul Cosmos. “By developing not just printing capacity but also full-scale machines in-house, we are enabling faster, high-quality rocket manufacturing and taking one step closer to carrying our customers to space.”
Founded in 2017 at IIT Madras, Agnikul made headlines when it successfully test-fired a rocket from Sriharikota’s first private launch pad, Dhanush, which the team had built. The mission also featured India’s first single-piece 3D-printed rocket engines, developed and patented by Agnikul.
The company already holds a US patent for these single-piece engines. With the new facility, Agnikul can now print engines up to one metre in size, producing seven times more thrust than earlier designs. These engines can be made in just a few days, significantly cutting development time.
“With this facility, we are improving our own launch readiness and building the foundation for a strong and competitive space industry in India,” said Moin SPM, Co-founder & COO of Agnikul Cosmos.
Since the government opened the space sector to private companies in 2020, over 250 space-tech start-ups have emerged across India, highlighting the country’s growing role in the global space ecosystem.