Indian-origin Tejpaul Bhatia becomes CEO of American space firm Axiom Space; says, 'I've been inspired...'

American space company Axiom Space has appointed Indian-origin Tejpaul Bhatia as its new chief executive officer (CEO). Bhatia, who had been serving as the company's chief revenue officer, succeeds Dr. Kam Ghaffarian, the previous CEO, executive chairman, and co-founder. Ghaffarian will continue as executive chairman of Axiom Space.

"I've been inspired by space exploration since childhood, and leading Axiom Space at this critical inflection point in human spaceflight is the realisation of a lifelong ambition," said Bhatia, who has been a three-time startup founder.

Bhatia further said that the company is accelerating its investment in next-generation technologies, including spacesuits, orbital infrastructure, and microgravity research and manufacturing. He also said that they are actively seeking engineers, technologists, and entrepreneurs "who want to help build humanity's future in space."

Bhatia's role at Axiom Space

Bhatia, who joined Axiom Space from Google in 2021, pioneered landmark deals and missions, notably leading what the company calls the industry's first-ever sovereign government purchases of commercial human spaceflight missions to the International Space Station, including the groundbreaking Axiom Mission-1 (Ax-1) through Axiom Mission-4 (Ax-4).

Axiom said he also oversaw high-impact, cross-industry collaborations, such as partnering with Prada on NASA-awarded, next-generation spacesuits for the Artemis III lunar mission, and with Nokia to integrate high-speed cellular connectivity into the lunar exploration spacesuits — establishing Axiom Space's position as a leading innovator and commercial integrator for human space exploration.

At Google, Bhatia led strategic narrative and ecosystem management for Google Cloud, engaging Fortune 100 executives, venture capital firms, and startup founders, supporting over $4 billion in sales pipeline.

He also led startups Explain Everything, Chatwala, and Kaptur, and was an early pioneer in modern-day video streaming at ESPN, where he spearheaded the company's international digital expansion across the United States, Mexico, Brazil, and Europe.

Building a commercial space station

Axiom Space said it helps nations and organisations build human spaceflight programs, develop astronaut selection programs, and provide expertise to expand the international community of space explorers to a larger and more diverse representation of humanity. Notably, the nine-year-old company is building Axiom Station, which it calls the world's first commercial space station.

"Axiom Space was founded to expand the boundaries of what's possible in space, and Tej has been instrumental in turning that vision into a reality," said Ghaffarian.

"His blend of entrepreneurial drive, global perspective, and deep commitment to our mission will ensure Axiom Space's leadership at the forefront of the rapidly growing commercial space market."