Axiom Space Gears Up for Ax-4 Mission to ISS, Marking Milestone for International Collaboration and Commercial Viability

Axiom Space is set to launch its fourth mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday, June 10, a mission CEO Tejpaul Bhatia heralds as a significant step forward. Dubbed Ax-4, this mission underscores the growing role of commercial entities in space exploration [1].

Ax-4 is not only Axiom Space’s fourth journey to the ISS but also their second “fully national mission,” with all astronauts representing national governments. This mission is particularly noteworthy as it facilitates the return of human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, each sending an astronaut on the flight.

Bhatia highlighted that Ax-4 is projected to be the company’s first break-even mission, a crucial achievement after financial losses on the previous three. He clarified that these ISS missions are a stepping stone, not the core of Axiom Space’s business model. The company’s long-term vision involves attaching commercial modules to the ISS, which will eventually detach to form the independent Axiom Station [2].

These initial missions serve a dual purpose: generating revenue and demonstrating the increasing demand for commercial space travel. They also provide inspiration, creating what Bhatia calls “Apollo moments” for the participating countries.

“It shows how space is opening up because of commercial companies,” Bhatia stated. “For all three countries, this will be their second astronaut ever. And it shows the switch from Space Race 1.0 to Space Race 2.0.”

Axiom Space has consistently utilized SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for its missions to the ISS. Bhatia described Axiom Space’s role as a “marketplace integrator and broker,” facilitating these complex missions. He anticipates substantial opportunities for the company to continue serving as a “managed marketplace” for space as the commercial space sector expands, emphasizing that collaboration is key: “no one can do this alone.”

“To become multi-planetary, that’s not something where one country has all the capabilities,” he added, highlighting the necessity of international cooperation.

Addressing potential challenges, Bhatia commented on the importance of entrepreneurial endeavors in leveraging commercial platforms to advance space exploration, building on the foundations laid by government investments.

Bhatia himself is relatively new to the CEO role, having taken over from company co-founder Dr. Kam Ghaffarian. Prior to this, Bhatia served as the company’s chief revenue officer after a career at Google Cloud. Despite not having a space-centric background early on, Bhatia revealed a lifelong fascination with space: “when I was daydreaming, it was always about space.”

Like many leaders in the space industry, Bhatia harbors personal aspirations of traveling to space. “I would love to go,” he shared, expressing confidence in future opportunities for broader participation in space travel: “I have no doubt that we will all go.”