Axiom Mission 4 Launches India’s Bold Return to Human Spaceflight

In 2023, I had the privilege of leading Axiom Space’s first business trip to India. Our Chief Revenue Officer at the time Tejpaul Bhatia (now Axiom Space CEO) and I set out to discuss a human spaceflight opportunity with leaders of the Government of India. I carried with me a suitcase filled with hope, my U.S.-India lapel pin, and the Tiranga we had flown to space on Axiom Mission 2. We visited New Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad (my birthplace). Being able to share Axiom Space’s story and the vision for the future of space in a city intertwined with my family’s stories and history was a feeling like no other. 

Since I was young, my parents instilled in me the importance of serving as an everyday ambassador of our Indian heritage. As members of the Indian diaspora, we cherish the legacy of our ancestors and honor the stories from our birthplace. Yet, I never expected my cultural roots to find such meaningful expression in my work in the space industry. 

Now, our company is proud to be collaborating with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on the historic Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). The Axiom Space team is working tirelessly to prepare for the astronaut mission, which will soon fly the first Indian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS).

“I may be going alone, but it’s the journey of 1.4 billion people”
– Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Ax-4 Pilot

Around 40 years after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma flew to space, Ax-4 Pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to become the second Indian citizen to travel to space and the first aboard the ISS. This mission marks India’s return to human spaceflight, as the nation begins its next chapter of space exploration. With Ax-4, India will soon join the legacy of the ISS, right as it charts its own future with the ambitious Gaganyaan project. 

I am honored to be a part of the team that is supporting India as it enters this golden era. Our hope is that Ax-4 is a chance for ISRO to expand its expertise in advance of its own human spaceflight missions, build a thriving microgravity research ecosystem, and prepare for long-term human presence in space. This mission is also a pivotal milestone in US-India space cooperation. Envisioned in the India-USA Joint Statement during Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States in June 2023, this ISRO-NASA joint effort builds bridges between two superpower nations, two space agencies, and two hemispheres.

At Axiom Space, we are building era-defining space infrastructure to support India and nations around the globe. To date, we are the only company on the planet that has conducted commercial astronaut missions to the ISS, and the research on our fourth mission will represent over 30 countries. We are also building the world’s first commercial space station, and we have the unique privilege of connecting our modules to the International Space Station. Finally, we are the only company building spacesuits for the Moon – when NASA lands the first woman on the Moon, she will be wearing our spacesuit!

As I think about the legacy that has inspired me to join the space industry, I think about the legacy that we, the Indian diaspora, can create for our future. With the Ax-4 mission, I hope we inspire the next-generation of explorers and encourage Indian trailblazers and visionaries to define the paradigm of life and work, not only on Earth but also beyond our planet.

• Top left: Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson, Director of Human Spaceflight for Axiom Space, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary, and Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland
• Top right: Axiom Space CEO Tejpaul Bhatia with Ax-3 Pilot Walter Villadei of Italy and Ax-4 Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India
• Bottom left: Pearly Pandya receives Esteemed Speaker award from ISRO Director S. Unnikrishnan Nair for contributions to the 2024 Indian Space Conclave
• Bottom right: Axiom Space webinar conducted in partnership with Indiaspora and South Asian Journalists Association, Oct. 21, 2024.

About the Author

In her current role, Pearly Pandya is enabling access to low-Earth orbit for international governments, industries, and researchers. Pearly is the Asia Region Lead for Axiom Space and played a key role in the foundational discussions for the historic ISRO-NASA joint human spaceflight effort, Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). She seeks to bridge her professional experiences in both the space and healthcare sectors, as she continues to bridge her own two worlds as an Indian-born first-generation American immigrant. Pearly received her B.S. Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and M.S. Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University.