Earlier this morning, a rocket carrying the first ever official British astronaut, Tim Peake,  launched from Kazakhstan.

The 43-year old British man will spend six months on board the International Space Station, alongside two others from America and Russia.

On arrival, they will be greeted by the first ever doll to visit space - her name is Lottie and she was created by Donegal business, Arklu.

Lottie was designed by six-year-old Abigail from Canada who is a big fan of astronomy. She submitted the product idea to the company who picked the design.

Ian Harkin is Managing Director and founder of Arklu and he spoke to Lunchtime today about the doll: "Space travel is all about pushing the boundaries and trying to get the next generation interested in science subjects. We thought it was the perfect fit."

You can listen to his interview here: