Know-Your-Spacemen: Is Shubhanshu Shukla’s Axiom-4 Different from Rakesh Sharma’s in 1984?
New Delhi: Axiom-4, or Ax-4, the space mission on which Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will travel on June 10, will be the second commercial spaceflight mission made up of government and ESA-sponsored national astronauts. As per Axiom Space website, the Ax-4 mission will “realize the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years.
While Ax-4 marks these countries' second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station.
What is Axiom Space?
Axiom Space, founded in 2016 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a privately held company, distinct from traditional government space agencies like NASA or ESA. It is at the forefront of commercialising human spaceflight and developing the world’s first commercial space station. Unlike government missions, Axiom’s flights are funded through a combination of private investment, customer contracts and partnerships with national agencies and private individuals. This private model enables Axiom to offer seats to a diverse clientele, including professional astronauts, researchers, and wealthy private individuals, as well as to forge international collaborations.
Axiom’s missions are conducted in partnership with SpaceX, which provides the Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft, and NASA, which oversees integrated operations during the missions. The company’s business model is multifaceted: it includes selling seats on private astronaut missions, facilitating commercial research in microgravity and developing its own space station modules to eventually succeed the ISS.
How are seats bought?
Axiom Space offers seats on its missions to the ISS at a reported price of around USD 55 million per seat. This price covers extensive astronaut training, the launch itself, life support, mission operations and a stay of roughly 10–14 days aboard the ISS, where participants can conduct scientific experiments, educational outreach, or personal projects. The cost reflects the complexity and risk of orbital spaceflight, as well as the operational expenses of using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and NASA’s facilities.
Seats are purchased by a variety of clients, including private individuals. High-net-worth individuals seeking the experience of space travel can buy seats directly from Axiom. These “space tourists” undergo rigorous training and medical screening to prepare for the mission.
Do countries also buy seats?
Yes, countries lacking their own crewed launch capabilities have partnered with Axiom to send their astronauts to space. For example, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India, Poland and Hungary have all arranged by payment for their astronauts to fly on Axiom missions, sometimes as part of broader agreements to boost their national space programmes.
The process typically involves direct negotiation with Axiom Space, which tailors training and mission objectives to the client’s needs. For government-sponsored astronauts, national space agencies often cover the cost, while private individuals or corporate clients pay out of pocket or via sponsorships. Axiom Space’s missions epitomise the shift toward private, market-driven space exploration, where seats to orbit are bought by those with the means and desire.
How much has India paid?
The government of India has not put out any figures of the payment for the space travel on the Ax-4 mission. Neither has Axiom made the figure known in response to media queries. As per the BBC, ISRO has paid Rs 5 billion, or Rs 500 crore ($59m), to secure a seat for Shukla and his training.
The cost details of India’s Ax-4 mission were disclosed by ISRO Chairman V Narayanan during an interview with Pallava Bagla. According to the discussion, India invested USD 60–70 million (approximately Rs 550 crore) for Shukla’s seat on the mission. This aligns with Axiom Space’s standard seat pricing, which a company official confirmed is in the "mid-$60 million" range.
How was Rakesh Sharma's mission different from Shukla's mission?
The space missions of Rakesh Sharma (1984) and Shubhanshu Shukla (2025) are landmark events in India's space history, but they differ significantly in context, objectives, technology and their implications for India's space programme. Sharma’s mission was a pioneering, Soviet-led diplomatic gesture with limited immediate technological impact for India, while Shukla’s mission is a commercially arranged effort.
Sharma’s mission was a product of the Indo-Soviet partnership. He flew as part of the Soviet Interkosmos program, which was designed to foster goodwill and scientific exchange between the USSR and allied nations. The mission showcased India's entry into the exclusive club of spacefaring nations. Sharma spent about eight days aboard the Soviet space station Salyut 7, conducting 43 experimental sessions, mainly in biomedicine and remote sensing.
Shukla's mission is not a government-to-government arrangement, but a seat secured by India on a private, US-operated mission (Axiom-4) to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission is managed by Axiom Space, a commercial entity. Shukla will spend two weeks on the ISS, conducting around 60 experiments, with at least seven designed by ISRO.
The hold of private individuals on national space missions, more specifically, the world’s richest man, Elon Musk’s hold on NASA, via his company SpaceX, especially after the fallout between him and the US President is a source of increasing anxiety in the US and global space enthusiasts and researchers.
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