The space shuttle Atlantis made a flawless launch yesterday carrying a British-born astronaut among its six-strong crew.
Piers Sellers, from Crowborough, East Sussex, became the third person from the UK to go into space as he began the 11-day Nasa mission to the international space station.
The 47-year-old, who had to become a US citizen to achieve his goal, had the start of his mission postponed last Wednesday after Hurricane Lili threatened mission control in Houston, Texas.
But with weather conditions good the space shuttle Atlantis soared into the blue sky above Florida at 8.45pm UK time.
Sellers, a father-of-two, follows in the space steps of Britons Helen Sharman and Michael Foale, making the eight-minute journey to reach an orbit around the earth.
The Atlantis is due to dock with the international space station, where the six-strong team plan to attach a 350ft truss to the structure.
Sellers will attempt three spacewalks during the mission, and hopes to beat the record for a single space walk of eight hours and 56 minutes.