India is brimming with pride after Shubhanshu Shukla became the first astronaut from the country to blast off to the International Space Station (ISS) Wednesday, in a boost to the South Asian giant’s bid to become a space power.

NASA retiree turned private astronaut Peggy Whitson was launched on the fifth flight to orbit of her career early on Wednesday, joined by crewmates from India, Poland and Hungary heading for their countries' first visit to the International Space Station.

The Ax-4 crew shared their first live update from space, with IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla describing the launch as "magical." The team, now en route to the ISS, spoke about unity, science, and pride.