Saturday, October 1 2005 14:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Baikonur (Kazakhstan): A Soyuz rocket carrying United States (US) millionaire scientist Gregory Olsen and a Russian-American crew lifted off today (Oct 1, 2005) from the Central Asian steppes, launching the world's third space tourist on a two-day journey to the international space station.

The rocket streaked into the blue sky with an earsplitting blast, trailing blindingly bright yellow and pink flames, as the crew's family and friends, as well as US and Russian space officials, watched from a viewing platform at the Russian-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Some in the crowd of more than 100 people, including members of two space-fan tourist groups, gasped at the blastoff and then again at the explosive separation of the first of three booster segments, the only audible reaction until the spacecraft entered its initial designated orbit nine minutes after the launch. Then the crowd burst into applause.

As the spacecraft entered orbit, the crew, Olsen, Russian cosmonaut Valery Tokarev and US astronaut William McArthur, reported all was well aboard.

Olsen's daughter Krista Dibsie, 31, accompanied by her husband and 4-year-old son, Justin, videotaped the liftoff.

Justin held his hands over his ears, his mouth wide open.

As she craned her head skyward, tears rolled down Dibsie's cheeks, and she said quietly, "There goes Dad. Love you, Dad."

The spacecraft will rendezvous in two days with the station floating 400 kilometers above the Earth. Olsen, Tokarev and McArthur will bring cargo aboard and perform experiments.