A kiss and a wave from @astro_paolo #VITAmission pic.twitter.com/7LwUcIr4YO — ESA (@esa) July 28, 2017

L+5mins 2nd stage separation, 3rd stage ignition confirmed. Crew now in space & travelling at ~13 500 km/h. — Human Spaceflight (@esaspaceflight) July 28, 2017

Liftoff for @astro_paolo @AstroKomrade & @Ryazanskiy_ISS on #Soyuz at 15:41 GMT | 17:41 CEST https://t.co/FMw2xQzT9E #VITAmission pic.twitter.com/yLpeU4ZFSy — ESA (@esa) July 28, 2017

Liftoff for @astro_paolo @AstroKomrade & @Ryazanskiy_ISS on #Soyuz at 15:41 GMT | 17:41 CEST https://t.co/jvYdiWF6vW #VITAmission pic.twitter.com/iXch4yV4Yv — ESA (@esa) July 28, 2017

5 mins to launch of @astro_paolo @AstroKomrade & @Ryazanskiy_ISS on #Soyuz at https://t.co/jvYdiWnvEo #VITAmission pic.twitter.com/QiHjgvESDX — ESA (@esa) July 28, 2017

well spotted!! 🙂 — ESA (@esa) July 28, 2017

Here you go: https://t.co/s9kqcTOlzr – press play : ) — ESA (@esa) July 28, 2017

"You have to learn to walk with your feet" @astro_paolo is looking forward to become an extraterrestrial human again #VITAmission pic.twitter.com/VbOqIgCTtK — ESA (@esa) July 28, 2017

As Gagarin did, so do they all: @astro_paolo signed bedroom door, leaving his mark (again) at Cosmodrome Hotel #VITAmission pic.twitter.com/wbDoTCde3B — Human Spaceflight (@esaspaceflight) July 28, 2017

That story behind @astro_paolo's unique @space_station images #VITAmission https://t.co/gCJUs4fepV pic.twitter.com/qALQh4bLFv — ESA (@esa) July 28, 2017