(February 28, 2024) The dream of space exploration resonates universally, capturing the imagination of people around the globe. However, the reality remains that the actual experience is reserved for a privileged few. Government-run space programs offer select individuals the chance to embark on space journeys, but these opportunities are limited. On the private front, the exorbitant costs associated with space travel make it an exclusive venture accessible only to the extremely wealthy.
However, a 23-year-old entrepreneur from Thane, Maharashtra, is breathing life into the dream of ordinary individuals venturing into space. Akshat Mohite, founder of Astroborne Space and Defence Technologies, is ambitiously working towards establishing Asia’s leading private astronaut training facility. The facility aims to serve private astronauts, government personnel, and space enthusiasts. As a participant in NASA’s Project PoSSUM citizen-science astronautics training programme, Akshat envisions training around 700 candidates each year, with a particular emphasis on aspiring astronauts.
“Our world-class training programmes are being designed to breed the next generation of space explorers,” shares Akshat as he connects with Global Indian for an exclusive interview. “Once we have the land, the facility should be ready in 18-24 months. The Astroborne facility will provide specialised training using modules like hypoxia chambers, space suit acclimatisation, G-Force exposure, and spacecraft ingress/egress simulations. It will also have an onsite analog habitat to facilitate prolonged and hyper-realistic mission simulations, driving innovation in aerospace education. We are also registered with space regulator and promoter Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), already has an agreement with a US astronaut training facility, Nastar Centre,” he adds.
A curious cat
Born in Mumbai, Akshat owes all his success to his inquisitive nature. “I have been a very curious kid. I would question my parents about everything,” shares the entrepreneur, adding, “I remember my parents took me to watch the movie Krishh. I was very young – probably in the second standard – and this was the first time I got to know that one could become a scientist. So, frankly, I have been working towards becoming a scientist since then. Also, I must add that my school is affiliated with the IGCSE board, which enabled me to understand how to write research papers.”
Akshat has received acclaim for his research endeavours, with over ten specialised publications and six research papers accepted by the International Aeronautical Federation. His work has earned him invitations to present at prestigious conferences worldwide, and he was selected to showcase his research at the NASA Ames Space Settlement Contest in both Washington and Los Angeles. “During my 11th grade, I got an opportunity to attend a seminar by an eminent NASA scientist, which motivated me to pursue a career in the field of space technology. eventually, I wrote a research paper about how we can settle about 20,000 people in space, and couriered it to the NASA Ames Research Centre. They were so impressed by it, that they invited me to present the paper at there,” says the entrepreneur.
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Ask what motivated him to write this paper, and the youngster quips, “I knew about the International Space Station (ISS), but of course, that facility can accommodate a limited number of people only, who can carry out their research missions. So, that got me thinking about another facility like the ISS, but a much bigger accommodation area. It would help humans conduct so much more research and on many diverse topics.”
Unfortunately, though, Akshat couldn’t get a visa when he applied to go to the NASA centre to present his paper. “I was going to travel with my mentor, and frankly was quite heartbroken when I didn’t get the visa. However, I approached our former Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj ma’am for help. A few of my friends in the USA also reached out to presidential candidate, Kamala Harris. And that’s how I actually got my visa in the next attempt. But then by then, the NASA conference was over so it made no sense to go to the USA,” shares the entrepreneur.
Space bound
In 2019, Akshat became a part of NASA’s Project PoSSUM – Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere. “The programme is affiliated with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS), a U.S.-based institution specialising in operational science, flight test engineering, and bioastronautics,” shares the entrepreneur.
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“Soon after I finished my 12th standard examinations, I flew to Florida, USA, and started training as an astronaut. I underwent the G-Force training in an Extra 300 L aircraft. I also went through hypoxia chamber training, which basically tells us what happens to our brain when there is less oxygen in the air – so during this training some people cry or others lose focus. However, I was informed that since Indian cuisine has a high content of iodine, it helps us retain oxygen in the body. In all honesty, I am not sure how scientific this is, but I didn’t face anything while inside the hypoxia chamber. My oxygen level dropped till 85 percent, and then stabalised there,” he adds
It was here that Akshat got the idea of starting a company that could facilitate this training not only for astronauts but also for space enthusiasts. “I did thorough research and got to know that a single ticket to space can cost anything between $40 million to $70 million through SpaceX. Also, according to PWC Deloitte, the Asian market is a lot more willing to pay for services such as human space flight, more than any other continent. That gave me the confidence that I could set up such a facility and give services at a much cheaper cost. There are over 5,000 candidates from Asia applying for training in the US and Europe annually but not more than 10-15 are accommodated. These people would prefer coming to India, spending less, and getting the same facilities,” he shares.
Currently only focussed on building the Astroborne facility, Akshat shares that he wants to create a facility for those who might not want to go to space, but wish to get the training of an astronaut. “We are still in our early stages, and yet the company has already received inquiries from around 450 aspirants. We have the full-support of the government, which is also quite motivational for us. Astroborne is also developing India’s first six-seater commercial space module – Airawat – engineered for suborbital space tourism missions, which will be capable of reaching altitudes of up to 400km,” shares the entrepreneur as he signs off.
- Follow Akshat Mohite on LinkedIn
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