Agnikul Calls Off Maiden Rocket Launch For Fourth Time

Chennai-based Agnikul Cosmos called off the launch of its first rocket on Tuesday seconds before it was due for takeoff, marking the fourth such cancellation in the last three months.

The maiden launch of its Agnibaan Sub-Orbital Technology Demonstrator, which is a 3D-printed, semi-cryogenic rocket, was called off, citing issues with the igniter.

This was the fourth attempt at the test launch since March 22, when the test flight was first scheduled to be held at the Agnikul Launchpad at ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Agnikul is the nation's first private launchpad and the second rocket of its kind to undergo testing.

The first was Skyroot Aerospace's November 2022 launch of the Vikram-S sub-orbital rocket.

The IIT Madras-incubated Agnikul was one of the startups slated to meet Elon Musk on his visit to India before the plan was scrapped altogether.