Fire from the boosters of the Soyuz TMA-19M rocket cut a bright light through the overcast sky at the Russia-operated cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, after the spacecraft launched on schedule at 1103 GMT (17.03 pm local time), according to live television broadcasts.
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A rocket has blasted off carrying British astronaut Major Tim Peake to the International Space Station (ISS).
He will fly from Launch Pad 1, the historic spot from which Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space in April 1961.
Peake is accompanied by Russian space veteran Yury Malenchenko and Tim Kopra of NASA for a six-month mission for the for the European Space Agency (ESA).
Earlier there were emotional scenes as Major Peake said goodbye to family and friends including his wife, Rebecca, and two sons, Thomas, six and Oliver, four.
At blast-off, the rocket generated 422.5 tonnes of thrust – equivalent to 26 million horse power.
In his last interview before the flight, Peake told the media that he was most looking forward to the view of Earth, saying: “I don’t think anything can really prepare you for that moment”.
He also revealed that Christmas had almost slipped his mind in the hectic run up to the launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
He logged over 3,000 flying hours on more than 30 types of helicopter and aircraft, all helping to make him an ideal candidate to go into space and spend six months dealing with the unique and challenging living conditions of the ISS. Although other Britons have gone into space, they have either had USA citizenship or been funded by Nasa or private enterprise.
The Soyuz trio will join up with the three astronauts already at the ISS Scott Kelly of Nasa and Russians Sergei Volkov and Mikhail Kornienko, and begin work on Expedition 46.
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Major Peake could be identified by the Union Flag on his sleeve.
