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Sochi 2014

The Russians have launched the Olympic torch into space

The torch will be taken on a space walk this weekend as part of the 2014 Winter Olympic relay.

A THREE-MAN crew have taken the Olympic torch into space as the countdown continues to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.

Russia’s Mikhail Tyurin, Rick Mastracchio of America and Japan’s Koichi Wakata blasted off from a Russian-facility in Kazakhstan this morning.

They will deliver the torch to the International Space Station where it will be taken on a space walk on Saturday before it is returned to earth on Monday.

The torch, which was not lit for safety reasons, was taken into space in 1996 and again in 2000 but this will be the first time it has been taken out into open space.

The Winter Olympics open in Sochi on 7 February.

YouTube Credit: tvroscosmos

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