NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh said here today that "Agniban" marks another milestone in India's Space StartUp journey which took off in a big way only few years ago with the opening of India's space sector for private participation after a revolutionary decision to this effect was taken at the highest level with the indulgence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking after the successful launch, Dr Jitendra Singh also congratulated Team "Agnikul", the private StartUp which had worked with the ISRO to achieve today's feat. On the occasion, he also recalled an earlier launch by a private Startup by "Skyroute" in 2022.

Hailing the successful launch of Agniban Rocket with the world's first Single Piece 3D printed semi-cryogenic engine, Dr Jitendra Singh, in a congratulatory message to ISRO posted by him on ‘X' (formerly Twitter), described it as the "showcasing of "India Space Ingenuity".

Pertinent to mention, Agnibaan SOrTeD (Sub-Orbital Technology Demonstrator) lifted off at 7.15 am on Thursday in a mission of many firsts. While it is the second launch by a private Startup in India, it is the first to use a private launch pad that the company has set up at the country's only operational spaceport at Sriharikota. "AgniKul" Cosmos Private Limited is an Indian aerospace manufacturer, a StartUp, based in National Center for Combustion R&D of IIT Madras, Chennai.

With the opening of India's space sector for wider participation for both public as well as private sectors, Dr Jitendra Singh said, India has demonstrated its ability to be a world leader in the space sector. Today's achievement also showcases the brilliance of our young innovators, he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh further informed that the mission was about to reach a height of 8 Kms before splashing it into the sea.

Meanwhile, the Team ‘Agnikul' hopes to conduct its first orbital launch which will be able to carry satellites into the orbit of the earth. They hope to provide this launch by next year. The other private launch Startup by Skyroute which provided its first orbital launch in 2022 will also likely undertake an orbital launch in the months to come.