Inspiration4: 'Amateur astronauts' launch into orbit in landmark for space tourism

In a landmark for space tourism, four "amateur astronauts" were successfully launched into orbit aboard a Dragon vehicle riding atop a Falcon-9 rocket, manufactured by Elon Musk's company SpaceX.

A healthcare worker, a science educator and a data analyst will now circle the Earth with US billionaire businessman Jared Isaacman for three days.

It's the latest flight to help open up access to space for paying customers, following on from launches by Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos.

The mission, named Inspiration4, is hoped to inspire others and raise money for children's cancer medicine.

Read more: All-amateur space crew enjoy views of Earth