Astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary blast off on privately funded ISS trip

Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Space Research Organisation, from left, Tibor Kapu of Hungary, commander Peggy Whitson, and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, pose for a selfie before departing for a launch to the International Space Station at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida (Terry Renna/AP)

India, Poland and Hungary have launched their first astronauts in more than 40 years, sending them on a private flight to the International Space Station (ISS).

The three countries shared the tab for the two-week mission.