Year long space trip begins-KKN

Astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko have set off on an 12-month tour of duty on the International Space Station.

The orbiting platform is 400 km high. This will be the longest stay anyone has ever had up there.

Kelly and Mr Kornienko launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan in a Soyuz vehicle at 1:42am Saturday. They should arrive at the space station six hours after lift-off.