Firstpost • Agnikul’s first test flight

A walkthrough of the good-to-have technologies in India' second private rocket

Agnikul’s first rocket completed its maiden suborbital test flight. In this Opinion Piece for Firstpost, I weigh the advantages of small, dedicated rockets against those of heavy launch vehicles.

From the article:

…Cryogenic and semi-cryogenic rocket engines offer much higher energy density and specific impulse than traditional solid- and liquid-fueled engines. Specific impulse measures the engine’s efficiency in converting propellant to thrust. It is essentially the rocket’s ‘mileage’. Semi-cryogenic engines are the most popular rocket engines used today. Compared to solid-fuelled variants, semi-cryogenic engines allow for higher variability of thrust—the ability to throttle.

They also offer a higher thrust-to-weight ratio than liquid-fueled engines. Additionally, propellant storage and handling are simpler in semi-cryogenic rockets than in liquid-fueled ones. This is also true for cryogenic rockets that use liquid hydrogen, which needs to be stored in heavy insulation tanks. Semi-cryogenic engines use denser liquid kerosene, which can be stored in a smaller volume, reducing the overall weight of the engine and the launch vehicle…

There are key strategic advantages, too. All spacecraft, after being launched, must pass through a precise point on the opposite side of the globe, called an antipodal point, before completing their first orbit. Potential adversaries could blockade this antipodal point of well-known spaceports such as Sriharikota or the upcoming Kulasekarapattinam, thereby cutting off India’s access to orbit. However, the capability to launch from any location enables India to overcome this vulnerability…

…Heavy launch missions have significant advantages over dedicated ones. For instance, multiple smaller payloads can be launched together on heavy launch vehicles, which makes these missions significantly cheaper…

…Heavy launch vehicles can reduce the need for expensive efforts to reduce the size and weight of satellites. This lowers barriers and opens access to space to more players, empowering the entire space economy.

Read the full article: www.firstpost.com/opinion/agnikuls-first-test-flight-time-for-private-sector-to-be-wings-of-indian-space-industry-13779865.html