Nasa spacecraft orbiting Earth after spectacular Artemis II Moon mission launch

BBC update

NASA'S Artemis II spacecraft has blasted off and is now orbiting the Earth in the first crewed mission to the Moon in half a century - watch the mission live above.

"We go for all humanity," astronaut Reid Wiseman said as they launched - see the moment the rocket blasted off.

Take-off was spectacular - you could feel the rocket lift-off passing through your body, our (rather excited) science editor writes from Florida.

From "epic views" to problems with the on-board toilet, we recap the launch.

What happens now? They will remain in orbit for 24 hours as the crew carries out checks - if all goes well it will get the green light to head around the Moon.

The crew are "safe, secure and in great spirits", a Nasa official says - they won't land on the Moon during their 10-day mission, but plan to circle it, and could travel further from Earth than anyone has ever been before.