NASA has taken its first step towards being able to send astronauts into orbit from US soil again.
The SpaceX company has launched a capsule designed to carry people from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The capsule is unmanned on this mission, instead containing only a life-size test dummy.
However, if the mission's successful, the craft could regularly carry humans to and from the International Space Station (ISS).
The 'Demo-1' mission, which launched in the early hours of Saturday morning, involves a Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine hailed today's launched as an exciting development.
He said:“What today really represents is a new era in spaceflight.
"We’re looking forward to being one of many customers in a robust commercial marketplace in low-Earth orbit.”
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the launch went as expected and "everything is nominal".
He said: “We’re only partway through the mission, but the system thus far has passed an exhaustive set of reviews, and the launch itself."
Elon Musk, left, CEO of SpaceX, speaks as NASA astronauts Bob Behnken, center, and Doug Hurley, right, listen during a news conference after the SpaceX Falcon 9 Demo-1 launch at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, March 2, 2019. (AP Photo/John Raoux)NASA SpaceX partnership
NASA and SpaceX have teamed up as part of the former's 'commercial crew programme'.
If Demo-1 goes as expected, Demo-2 will carry two NASA astronauts - Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley - to the ISS.
Officials are currently hoping that mission will take place in July.
The Demo-1 Crew Dragon, meanwhile, is set to dock with the ISS tomorrow.
It will remain docked with the space station until next Friday.
It is then expected to return to Earth and 'splash down' in the Atlantic Ocean several hours later.
NASA said the current test is a "significant step toward returning to the nation the capability to launch astronauts on a US-built spacecraft from US soil".
Such flights haven't taken place since the retirement of the space shuttle programme in 2011.
