SpaceX Dragon crew of four astronauts blast off to the International Space Station

Four astronauts have lifted off from Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the International Space Station (ISS).

Americans Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, Frenchman Thomas Pesquet and Akihiko Hoshide from Japan went into orbit in a SpaceX Dragon capsule launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket.

They should arrive at the space station on Saturday to begin a six-month tour of duty.

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