"The Impossible Is Possible": Axiom Space CEO On Building India's Space Future

The International Space Station (ISS), a football field-sized, multi-billion-dollar floating space laboratory visited by astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, is slated for retirement by 2030, and Axiom Space, the Houston-based company that facilitated Shux's mission, is already building its replacement.

Tejpaul Bhatia, CEO of Axiom Space, laid out a roadmap for the future of human spaceflight - one that places India at the heart of action for the next great leap in space exploration. As the world prepares for the retirement of the International Space Station, Axiom Space is building its successor: the world's first commercial space station, called the Axiom Station.

Mr Bhatia told NDTV that Axiom Station will replace the ISS commercially. "The first module attaches to the ISS. The second module, once it's ready and up about a year later, will connect and become a free-flying station. This must happen before the end of the life of the ISS," Tejpaul Bhatia said.

Construction is already underway. Following successful preliminary and critical design reviews with NASA, Axiom's partner, Thales Alenia Space, has begun building the primary structures of the first module.

India's Role: Interoperability And Rocket Services

India's space program, led by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is poised to play a pivotal role in this new era. Mr Bhatia highlighted the potential for collaboration between Axiom Station and India's planned Bharatiya Antariksha Station.

A 13-member ISRO team visited Axiom Space and NASA facilities. Photo: Axiom Space

"With India developing its program and the shared learnings, we're exploring interoperability and maybe connectivity of the two stations," he said.

Mr Bhatia also spoke about India's launch capabilities. "Our Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Skyroot Aerospace in Hyderabad crosses several items - from using them for launch capabilities for cargo, light cargo, heavy cargo, and hopefully one day, much heavier cargo and human spaceflight," he explained.

Additionally, Axiom Space is interested in using India's Launch Vehicle Mark-3 and its crew module to support operations for Axiom Station.

A 13-member ISRO team visited Axiom Space and NASA facilities, imbibing the fundamentals of human space flight, all of which will come in handy for India's Gaganyaan program. Axiom Space said the ISRO Chairman toured their facilities with a focus on their manufacturing and technical expertise.

"We are committed to supporting ISRO's space endeavours...Axiom-4 and beyond," Axiom Space said.

Skyroot Aerospace Is India's Private Rocket Pioneer

Skyroot Aerospace, the first private company in South Asia to launch a rocket, is important to this partnership. Axiom Space and Skyroot have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore integrated launch and orbital solutions that will serve both Indian and global markets.

"Since the day I visited Skyroot's facility two years ago, I knew our companies had to work together to define humanity's future in space," Mr Bhatia said.

Skyroot's CEO, Pawan Kumar Chandana, said, "Enabling greater and equitable access to space, be it for research institutes, start-ups, or national agencies, is the guiding mantra at Skyroot. As we begin realizing this vision with the upcoming maiden launch of Vikram-1, the partnership with Axiom Space builds an opportunity to explore integrated launch and orbital solutions that will shape humanity's future in space."

Adding to its credibility, Skyroot now has visionary space scientist Dr S Somanath, former Chairman of ISRO, as an advisor-further strengthening the bridge between India's public and private space sectors.

Axiom's Lunar Or AxEMU Spacesuits: Lunar-Ready And India-Ready

Axiom Space is also the sole provider of spacesuits for NASA's Artemis mission, which plans to return humans to the moon soon. The new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuits are designed for lunar exploration and low-Earth orbit operations.

"The next human who steps on the moon will be wearing an Axiom spacesuit," Bhatia said, adding, "We were building spacesuits for our station. We need them. The architecture is relatively similar. Obviously, you're walking on a celestial body on the moon and you're floating around in space, but it's a natural fit."

A Shared Vision

In his NDTV interview, Mr Bhatia emphasized the values-based partnership between India and the United States.

"India being not just an ally for the US, but being a values-based ally, this collaboration will accelerate humanity off the planet for the entire world, not just for the US and India," he said.

He praised India's unique public-private space model. "What's amazing about what India is doing in the space program right now is that it is a public-private partnership unlike we've ever seen. You have ISRO, but you also have Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and New Space India Limited (NSIL). And then you have this burgeoning space start-up industry."

Bhatia's excitement about the Axiom-4 mission was clear: "People said that's not possible, they're [India] never going to fly, and I was like, I'll just go knock on the door of the embassy," he recalled. "I have almost made it a challenge that if someone tells me something's impossible, I will do it just to prove that it's possible."

Axiom-4: India's Return To Human Spaceflight

The Axiom-4 mission, which launched on June 25, marked India's return to human spaceflight. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS. The mission also included astronauts from the US, Hungary, and Poland. Mr Bhatia said that the mission began with a simple knock on the door of the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC.

A New Era Of Space Collaboration

As the ISS prepares for retirement, Axiom Space is building its replacement, and India could be a key partner.

Bhatia said, "I think it's a very natural fit that this Indo-American collaboration will accelerate humanity off the planet for the entire world, not just for the USA and India."

From rockets to suits, astronauts to interoperability, the Indo-US space partnership is not just symbolic; it's strategic.