Pluto probe launches from Florida
The US space agency (Nasa) successfully launched its New Horizons mission to Pluto on Thursday.
The probe lifted off at 1900 GMT aboard an Atlas 5 rocket on a 10-year journey to the planet, some five billion km (three billion miles) from Earth.
The $700m probe will gather information on Pluto and its moons before - it is hoped - pressing on to explore other objects in the outer Solar System.
Pluto is the only remaining planet that has never been visited by a spacecraft.
The spacecraft was launched after being postponed for two consecutive days due to bad weather and technical difficulties.
On Tuesday, controllers stood down the flight due to high winds at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station pad in Florida.
Then a power failure at the Maryland laboratory managing the mission forced that launch attempt to be halted.
Subject: Pluto probe launches from Florida 
