A rocket carrying a European satellite which will search for ripples in space and time has blasted off.
Scientists are looking to prove Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity which was first put forward 100 years ago.
The early morning launch in French Guiana saw the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna light up the night sky, before the rocket ascended beyond the clouds.
It will travel towards the sun over about six weeks, where it will assume an orbit that keeps it between the sun and Earth.
Once there, it will collect data for six months that scientists hope will reveal gravitational waves.
Gravitational waves are predicted in Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, which looks at the effect gravity can have on the fabric of space-time.
These waves may be caused when massive celestial bodies warp space.
The mission is being overseen by the European Space Agency (ESA). The mission is costing around 400 million euros, (£285m).
It is the sixth mission for the rocket, which made its debut in 2012.
The launch had been schedule for Wednesday but was delayed to allow engineers to review data on how much heat the rocket would be subjected to in flight.
Arvind Parmar, head of ESA scientific support office, said: "Detecting gravitational waves is extremely difficult. The technology is a leap forward."
It could pave the way for an even more ambitious project that would set up an observatory in space.
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