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| Briton Tim Peake blasts off for space | Briton Tim Peake blasts off for space |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The rocket carrying Briton Tim Peake on his landmark flight to the International Space Station has launched from Kazakhstan. | The rocket carrying Briton Tim Peake on his landmark flight to the International Space Station has launched from Kazakhstan. |
| The Soyuz space capsule is carrying Russian Yuri Malenchenko, American Tim Kopra and "Major Tim", who will spend six months on the station. | The Soyuz space capsule is carrying Russian Yuri Malenchenko, American Tim Kopra and "Major Tim", who will spend six months on the station. |
| The former Army pilot is making history as the first official UK astronaut. | |
| Lift-off occurred from the launch pad where, in 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. | |
| Tim Peake Live: latest updates and video from the launch | Tim Peake Live: latest updates and video from the launch |
| At blast-off, the rocket generated 422.5 tonnes of thrust - equivalent to 26 million horse power. | At blast-off, the rocket generated 422.5 tonnes of thrust - equivalent to 26 million horse power. |
| After one minute, the rocket was soaring upwards at 1,000mph (1,600km/h) and, one minute later, the four first-stage boosters strapped around the rocket were jettisoned. | |
| Zero gravity was reached by the Soyuz spacecraft after nine minutes of travel. | Zero gravity was reached by the Soyuz spacecraft after nine minutes of travel. |
| Docking at the ISS is scheduled to take place at 17:24 GMT (23:24 local time). | Docking at the ISS is scheduled to take place at 17:24 GMT (23:24 local time). |
| Tim Peake in space: Want to know more? | Tim Peake in space: Want to know more? |
| Special report page: For the latest news, analysis and video | Special report page: For the latest news, analysis and video |
| Video: How the view from space affects your mind | Video: How the view from space affects your mind |
| Explainer: The journey into space | Explainer: The journey into space |
| Social media: Twitter looks ahead to lift-off | Social media: Twitter looks ahead to lift-off |
| Mr Peake will spend six months on board the ISS where he will conduct scientific experiments and carry out educational projects designed to attract young people into science. | |
| Earlier, he said goodbye to his family and friends including his wife, Rebecca, and two sons, Thomas, six and Oliver, four. | Earlier, he said goodbye to his family and friends including his wife, Rebecca, and two sons, Thomas, six and Oliver, four. |
| Sitting on the shoulders of his grandfather, Tim's youngest son cried loudly, saying: "I want to go with Daddy." | Sitting on the shoulders of his grandfather, Tim's youngest son cried loudly, saying: "I want to go with Daddy." |
| After the craft entered orbit, relatives and friends cheered and hugged. | |
| Mr Peake's wife Rebecca was heard to say: "Wasn't it an amazing sight? I had the biggest smile on my face." | |
| At the scene: Paul Rincon, Science editor, BBC News online | |
| It was freezing cold here at Baikonur Cosmodrome, but the evening sun cast a warm glow on the Soyuz rocket that was to take Tim Peake on his first flight into space. | |
| Tim looked to be in good spirits as he got into his white Sokol flight suit earlier in the day - smiling, giving the press the thumbs up, and in one touching moment waving goodbye to his two young sons Oliver and Thomas from the window of the bus that was taking him to the launch pad. | |
| As the support structures fell away from the Soyuz rocket, there was tension among everyone who had been following Mr Peake's amazing journey. | |
| Then the engines fired up and the rocket soared into Baikonur's clear skies on a column of flame. | |
| The former army major is the first Briton to join the crew of the ISS and is employed by the European Space Agency (Esa). | |
| On arrival, he and his two companions will join the trio already on board, including Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly who is spending a year on the orbiting station as part of a medical research programme. | On arrival, he and his two companions will join the trio already on board, including Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly who is spending a year on the orbiting station as part of a medical research programme. |
| Other Britons who have flown into space did so either as private individuals - Richard Garriott and Mark Shuttleworth - or by taking US citizenship - the Nasa astronauts Piers Sellers and Nicholas Patrick. | |
| Another British-born Nasa astronaut, Michael Foale, already had dual citizenship through his US mother. | Another British-born Nasa astronaut, Michael Foale, already had dual citizenship through his US mother. |
| Helen Sharman became the first British citizen to travel to space when she visited the Soviet space station Mir in 1991. | Helen Sharman became the first British citizen to travel to space when she visited the Soviet space station Mir in 1991. |
| Earlier, Ms Sharman told BBC News: "Tim has trained for six years, so he will know the spacecraft and the space station inside out. | Earlier, Ms Sharman told BBC News: "Tim has trained for six years, so he will know the spacecraft and the space station inside out. |
| "Whatever situation is thrown at him, he'll be well equipped to deal with it." | "Whatever situation is thrown at him, he'll be well equipped to deal with it." |