Nasa's Artemis II spacecraft is orbiting high above Earth after a successful and spectacular launch as its four astronauts get ready to thrust on to their destination – the Moon.
The first crewed lunar mission in half a century blasted off from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida after Nasa resolved some technical issues that had briefly paused the countdown.
Spectators at the launch said they could feel the power of the rocket through their entire bodies.
A few minutes later commander Reid Wiseman declared "Great view… we have got a great Moonrise" – a reminder that this crew will see things that only a handful of humans have witnessed.
The delicate technical choreography - including rocket booster separations - went as planned as Artemis passed the Kármán line boundary between Earth's atmosphere and space.
