A Soyuz rocket is delivering the torch to the International Space Station.

 

On Saturday, two Russian cosmonauts will take it on a historic first spacewalk. The torch will not be lit.

 

The event is part of a rebranding exercise by Russia, designed to portray¹ it as a strong, modern country, says the BBC's Daniel Sandford in Baikonur.

 

The Soyuz rocket blasted off at 04:14:25 GMT from the Baikonur cosmodrome（航天站） in Kazakhstan.

 

Three cosmonauts - Russia's Mikhail Tyurin, American Rick Mastracchio and Koici Wakata from Japan - are taking the torch to the ISS, which it is due to reach in six hours.

 

The Olympic symbol will be handed over to fellow cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky, who are already on the orbiting station, when they go on the spacewalk on Saturday. 

 

"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（大锅） in February next year. 

 

It is all part of the elaborate preparations for Russia's first Olympics since the Soviet² era. It is also the most expensive one so far, costing around $50bn).

 

The run-up to the games has been marred³ by controversy⁴ over a new Russian law that restricts the spread of information about homosexuality, as well as allegations by rights groups that authorities have rounded up migrant workers who helped build the Games venues⁵ in Sochi.

 

In yet another minor⁶ setback⁷, the flame has gone out several times since the torch relay began last month.

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