Image source, Getty Images

We're going to be closing our live coverage shortly, following the successful launch of four private astronauts into space.

• Blast off took place at 10:23 BST (05:23 EDT) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida
• It followed an almost two-hour delay due to "unfavourable weather" conditions
• It marks the start of SpaceX's five-day Polaris Dawn mission, which aims to test new spacesuit designs and conduct the first private spacewalk
• The four crew on board are billionaire Jared Isaacman, retired US Air Force Lt Colonel Scott Poteet, and mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon

• You can track the progress of the Polaris Dawn mission via SpaceX's tracking site, external

Thank you for following our live coverage. You can re-watch the moment the crew were propelled into space here.

Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent

Image source, SpaceX

It was thumbs up – and presumably all smiles under their helmets for the astronauts.

It looked like it was going to be yet another delay for the Polaris Dawn crew.

The storm clouds were gathering this morning, and the first flight opportunity was scrubbed.

But then the clouds seemed to part, allowing the first private sector crew to get into space in what was a perfect launch.

In the early hours, for a brief moment night turned to day, as the Falcon 9 rocket lifted off the pad as it roared into space like a fiery angel.

While the crowds were cheering, the flight operations team were holding their breath for the critical separation of the first stage – which happened smoothly.

Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent

An important factor is that, uniquely, the Dragon Spacecraft - called Resilience - does not have an airlock, which is a sealed room between the doorway into space and the rest of the spacecraft.

Normally the airlock is depressurised before astronauts step in and out, but in the case of Resilience, the entire craft will have to be depressurised.

The spacecraft has been adapted to withstand the vacuum, extra nitrogen and oxygen tanks have been installed and all four astronauts will wear EVA suits, although only two will exit the spacecraft.

The mission will therefore break the record for the most people in the vacuum of space at once.

Embracing the challenge, the flight team has taken the challenge as an opportunity to do tests on the crew on the impact of decompression sickness - known as the “bends” - and the blurry vision astronauts can sometimes experience in space, called spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS).

Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent

The astronauts will pass through a region of space known as the Van Allen belt, which has high levels of radiation.

The crew will be protected by the spacecraft and their spacesuits.

A few passes of the belt will expose them to the equivalent of three months of radiation experienced by astronauts on the International Space Station, which is within acceptable limits.

But they may study the effects that a relatively short but safe exposure has on the human body.

The crew are due to spend their second day in space at their maximum altitude, conducting up to 40 experiments, including intersatellite laser communication between the Dragon Spacecraft and Space X's Starlink satellite constellation.

Image source, SpaceX

The Polaris Dawn crew are wearing the extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuit during the first commercial astronaut spacewalk.

According to SpaceX, it's "evolved" from the Intravehicular Activity (IVA) suit.

"The EVA suit provides greater mobility, external, a state-of-the-art helmet heads-up display and camera, new thermal management textiles, and materials borrowed from Falcon’s interstage and Dragon’s trunk," according to the Polaris programme.

The spacesuit features spiral zippers at the waist and zippers on the forearms.

The polycarbonate visor provides "thermal insulation" and has been "externally coated with copper and indium tin oxide", with an "anti-fog treatment" on the inside.

The programme adds that the suit has "dual capability", external - used for both intravehicular and extravehicular activities.

Image source, Space X

The Dragon spacecraft - capable of carrying up to seven passengers - has separated from the Falcon 9 rocket's second stage, according to SpaceX., external

A commentator on the livestream adds: "Polaris Dawn, flying free into the sunrise."

Image source, SpaceX

The Polaris Dawn mission appears to have got off to a good start, with commentators on the SpaceX livestream saying "everything looks good" - as the first stage of the launch was underway.

They added that the crew looked "comfortable" as a 20 second burn took place, to help cool the vehicle down.

The commentators say the crew are now able to "float free".

Image source, SpaceX

In a post on X,, external SpaceX says the main engine cut-off and stage separation has been confirmed.

The second stage engine burn is underway, according to the company.

The Polaris Dawn has launched!

Follow developments by clicking Watch live at the top of the page.

We're in the final 2 minutes until the expected take-off.

Polaris Dawn's crew - Jared Isaacman, Scott Poteet, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon - are hoping for a different outcome, after the failed attempt last month.

You can follow the latest updates by clicking Watch live at the top of the page - or below.

In the time it takes to make a cup of tea, the Polaris Dawn mission will attempt to launch.

To keep across the latest updates from the SpaceX mission, you can click Watch live at the top of the page.

We're getting incredibly close to the expected launch of the Polaris Dawn mission - with just 5 minutes left until blast off.

To keep up to speed with the launch as it happens, and to find out more about the mission, you can click Watch live at the top of the page.

Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent

If all goes to plan, on day three, mission commander Jared Isaacman and mission specialist Sarah Gillis are expected to attempt the first ever privately funded spacewalk, which is expected to last two hours.

This will be while they are 700km (435 miles) in orbit.

The astronauts will be testing new extravehicular activity (EVA) astronaut suits which, as their name suggests, have been upgraded from Space X’s intravehicular activity (IVA) suits for working outside of spacecraft.

The EVA suit incorporates a heads-up display in its helmet, which provides information about the suit while it is being used.

The EVA suits are said to be comfortable and flexible enough to be worn during launch and landing, eliminating the need to have separate IVA suits.

SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission is due to launch in just 10 minutes' time.

Blast off is expected at 10:23 BST (05:23 EDT).

You can follow the latest from the launch of the mission by clicking Watch live at the top of the page.

The crew of the Polaris Dawn mission look ready to go in their monochromatic space suits.

Anna Menon, Scott Poteet, Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis are pictured in the Falcon 9 rocket, in a series of images, external released by SpaceX.

Image source, Space X

Image source, SpaceX

Image source, SpaceX

There are around 20 minutes to go until the SpaceX Polaris Dawn is due to launch.

Blast off is expected at 10:23 BST (05:23 EDT).

You can follow developments by clicking Watch live at the top of the page.

Billionaire Jared Isaacman has funded the Polaris Dawn mission, the second privately crewed mission from SpaceX - the spaceflight company founded by Elon Musk.

Polaris Dawn is due to spend five days in space.

The mission will attempt the world's first private spacewalk after launching into an elliptical trajectory around the Earth, with a maximum altitude of 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) - higher than, external any human has flown since the final Apollo mission in 1972.

It's the first of at least three launches hoping to fly under the programme.

The Polaris Dawn mission attempted to launch last month.

But it was postponed in the hours before lift off due to a small helium leak in ground equipment on SpaceX's launchpad.

SpaceX were able to fix the leak, however the Falcon 9 rocket was then grounded by U.S regulators due to a booster recovery failure during an unrelated mission - further delaying the Polaris Dawn launch.

It's around an hour till the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission is due for blast off.

That's at 10:23 BST (05:23 EDT).

You can follow the latest from the mission by clicking Watch live at the top of the page.