Sochi Olympic torch blasts off into space. Part 3

"Our goal here is to make it look spectacular," Mr Kotov said earlier.

"We'd like to showcase our Olympic torch in space. We will try to do it in a beautiful manner. Millions of people will see it live on TV and they will see the station and see how we work."

The Olympic torch has been carried into space twice before - in 1996 and 2000 - but it has never left a spaceship.

The Sochi torch will then be returned to earth and used to light the Olympic cauldron in February next year.