SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): Tejpaul Bhatia, a former Indian American entrepreneur and Google executive, has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Axiom Space, a leader in commercial space infrastructure and human spaceflight services.
Bhatia takes over after serving as Chief Revenue Officer for the company over the past four years and replaces previous CEO, executive chairman, and co-founder Dr. Kam Ghaffarian.
Ghaffarian will continue as executive chairman of Axiom Space.
Since joining Axiom Space in 2021, Bhatia has pioneered landmark deals and missions, notably leading 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), according to a media release.
He secured over $1 billion in contracts and oversaw Axiom Space’s four groundbreaking human spaceflight missions, transforming spaceflight into a repeatable and scalable commercial offering.
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.
“I’ve been inspired by space exploration since childhood, and leading Axiom Space at this critical inflection point in human spaceflight is the realization of a lifelong ambition,” said Bhatia. “We are accelerating our investment in next-generation technologies — spacesuits, orbital infrastructure, and microgravity research and manufacturing — and we’re actively seeking passionate, visionary engineers, technologists, and entrepreneurs who want to help build humanity’s future in space.”
As the commercial space industry’s only full-service orbital mission provider, Axiom Space helps nations and organizations 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.
“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.”
Bhatia brings more than two decades of experience as a seasoned technology and business leader and founder of three investor-backed startups with two acquisitions under his belt.
He joined Axiom Space from Google, where he 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.
As a founder and executive, he 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.
Bhatia’s appointment comes at a critical inflection point as the space industry transitions from government-owned assets to commercial platforms, according to the release. This shift is unlocking unprecedented market demand that Axiom Space is uniquely positioned to capture through its unmatched relationships with sovereign and commercial customers.
Under his leadership, Axiom Space will accelerate delivery of the world’s first commercial, human-rated space station, leveraging its exclusive authorization to connect its first module to the International Space Station in 2027.
This next-generation orbital platform — Axiom Station — fosters groundbreaking innovation and research in microgravity, and cultivates the vibrant, global space economy of tomorrow, according to the release.