India is celebrating its first astronaut in space for 41 years on the Axiom-4 (Ax-4).
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is the first Indian since 1984 to travel to space, becoming the second Indian ever to do so.
The India Space Agency, Isro has been conducting a number of tests before venturing into space and paid 5 billion rupees (A$89.1 million) to secure a seat for Group Captain Shukla and his team for his training.
Upon takeoff, Group Captain Shukla shared a message with India.
"We're back in space after 41 years and what an amazing ride it's been," he said.
"Right now, we are orbiting Earth at a speed of 7.5km per second. On my shoulder, I carry the Indian flag. This is not the start of my journey to the ISS. This is the beginning of India's human spaceflight. I welcome all my fellow Indians to be a part of this journey and feel proud and excited."
The 39-year-old was among four Indian air force officers shortlisted to travel on the country's first-ever human space flight, scheduled for 2027. India also has ambitious plans to set up a space station by 2035 and send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040.
The 14-day mission also includes crew members from the U.S., Poland and Hungary and has also been termed as Axiom’s most science-intensive mission to date with over 60 research experiments representing 31 countries.
