HOUSTON, June 9, 2025 — Axiom Space is set to launch its fourth mission to the International Space Station on Tuesday, a flight that CEO Tejpaul Bhatia calls “a little bit of a victory lap” for the private space company.

The Ax-4 mission will be Axiom Space’s second crewed flight consisting entirely of astronauts from national governments. The upcoming launch includes astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary — countries that are sending only their second-ever astronauts into orbit. The company has described the mission as a symbolic return to space for all three nations.

Bhatia said the mission will also be Axiom Space’s first break-even flight, following three earlier missions that operated at a loss. Still, he emphasized that these flights are a means to a larger end.

“These ISS missions are not our business model,” Bhatia said. “They bring in revenue, but more importantly, they help us demonstrate demand for commercial spaceflight and support our long-term goal of building Axiom Station.”

That goal involves launching commercial modules that will initially attach to the ISS before detaching to form the company’s independent space station.

Despite recent uncertainty in the commercial space sector, Bhatia remained optimistic. When asked about potential NASA budget cuts and political instability, he said the burden of pushing space access forward now lies with the private sector.

“It’s not that government investment will open space,” he said. “They’ve already done it. It’s the entrepreneurs who will use the commercial platforms to build the bridge to the next stage.”

Axiom Space has partnered with SpaceX to transport astronauts using its Dragon spacecraft. The company plays the role of broker and integrator, bringing together customers, launch providers, and training partners to execute these complex missions. Bhatia predicted that this role as a “managed marketplace” will be crucial as space access broadens.

“To become multi-planetary, that’s not something where one country has all the capabilities,” he said.

Bhatia stepped into the CEO role just weeks ago, taking over from co-founder Kam Ghaffarian, who now serves as executive chairman. Previously, Bhatia served as chief revenue officer for four years. His background includes senior roles at Google Cloud, though his interest in space began far earlier.

“When I was daydreaming, it was always about space,” he said.

Asked if he would ever consider making the journey himself, Bhatia said, “I would love to go. I have no doubt that we will all go.”

The company declined to comment on the recent spat between former President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, which led to threats of cancelled contracts and paused spaceflight plans. Musk later appeared to walk back his comments.

Axiom Space maintains that spaceflight is no longer defined by milestones but by continuous access made possible through commercial enterprise.

It shows how space is opening up because of commercial companies.