Astronauts are on their way to the International Space Station aboard a craft made by a commercial company instead of a government agency for the first time.
This is the second attempt at a liftoff for the Crew Dragon craft aboard a Falcon rocket, both made by Elon Musk's company SpaceX, after a planned launch earlier this week was stymied by the weather.
The reusable Falcon 9 rocket successfully detached from the Crew Dragon and landed about 10 minutes after launch. The second stage detached two minutes later, leaving the capsule on its own to travel onto the International Space Station - a 19-hour journey.
This is the first manned space launch into orbit from US soil since 2011, when the shuttle programme ended.
Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are on board. Hurley was on board the final shuttle trip in 2011.
Moments before liftoff, Hurley said, “SpaceX we’re go for launch. Let’s light this candle,” paraphrasing the famous phrase uttered on the launch pad in 1961 by Alan Shephard, the first American launched into space.
The craft launched from the same pad used by NASA's final space shuttle flight. Since then, NASA astronauts have had to hitch rides into orbit aboard Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft.
NASA chief Jim Bridenstine has said resuming launches of American astronauts on American-made rockets from US soil is the space agency’s top priority.
"I'm breathing a sigh of relief, but I will also tell you I'm not gonna celebrate until Bob and Doug are home safely."
The last time NASA launched astronauts into space aboard a brand new vehicle was 40 years ago at the start of the space shuttle programme.
US President Donald Trump called the launch the beginning, saying that eventually there would be flights to Mars.
Reuters / Newshub.
