Turkish astronaut Alper Gerezavci's historic journey to space has captivated the country, with space enthusiasts witnessing the incredible feat in many provinces that has filled the Turkish people with awe and pride.

Live video streamed online by Axiom and watched by millions in Türkiye and elsewhere showed the impressive 25-storey-tall launch vehicle soaring into the skies above Florida's Atlantic coast.

In pre-launch interviews, 44-year-oldGezeravci emphasised that he never even dreamt of becoming an astronaut because that only seemed possible for the children of other nations. But on January 18, as he carried Türkiye's aspirations to the International Space Station, the sky ceased to be the limit.

Here are some of the inspiring images