Fighter pilot takes next giant step for India's space plans

He will become the first Indian to join the ISS, and only the second ever in orbit

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Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla blasts off into space next week as the first Indian to join the International Space Station (ISS), bearing with him New Delhi's dreams of its own manned space flight.

An air force fighter pilot, 39-year-old Shukla is joining a four-crew mission launching from the United States with private company Axiom Space, aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

He will become the first Indian to join the ISS, and only the second ever in orbit - an achievement that the world's most populous nation hopes will be a stepping stone for its own human flight.

Journey of a country