At 16:28 GMT (18:28 CEST), 20 July 2019, ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano was launched to the International Space Station alongside NASA astronaut Drew Morgan and Roscosmos commander Alexander Skvortsov in the Russian Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft.

This clip shows the full launch sequence from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Luca, Drew and Alexander will be welcomed on board the Space Station by NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Nick Hague and current Space Station commander cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin. This marks the official start of Expedition 60 and Luca’s second space mission ‘Beyond’.

During the second part of his mission, known as Expedition 61, Luca will take up the role of Space Station commander. He is the first Italian and third European astronaut ever appointed to the role, after ESA astronauts Alexander Gerst in 2018 and Frank De Winne in 2009.

Follow Luca and the Beyond mission via http://lucaparmitano.esa.int/ and visit the blog for regular updates.