AgniKul Cosmos will test its launch vehicle at Alaska’s Pacific Spaceport Complex in 2022

AgniKul Cosmos, an aerospace startup based in India, has announced a significant step forward in getting to test its launch vehicle. The company has just signed a “memorandum of agreement” with Alaska Aerospace Company.

What this memorandum does is allow AgniKul Cosmos to test-launch its Agnibaan launch vehicle from the Pacific Spaceport Complex located on Kodiak Island in the U.S.

While this agreement is indeed a significant step forward for the India-based company, there are still many hurdles to overcome. Before the Agnibaan launch vehicle can be launched, AgniKul and Alaska Aerospace will have to work together to obtain various regulatory approvals and licensing.

That being said, AgniKul seems confident that these approvals and licenses will be obtained promptly. In fact, the company states that it is targeting 2022 as the year it will perform multiple test-launches from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska.

This partnership is the first step of many in achieving AgniKul’s goal of “moving the small satellite launch market towards a customer-centric business model.” While this is most definitely an ambitious goal, it is one that will undoubtedly benefit the entire space industry as a whole. It would ultimately allow more access to space by more micro and nano satellite providers around the world.