AlHijjah 18, 1432, Nov 14, 2011, SPA - Russia launched a rocket carrying three astronauts to the International Space Station Monday, DPA reported. A Soyuz-FG rocket with American Dan Burbank and Russians Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin aboard blasted off on time from Kazakhstan's Baikonur space centre at 0414 GMT in what appeared to be a problem-free launch. "We have a clean separation of the third stage," announced mission control, signaling the successful completion of a 528-second burn for the Soyuz's engines, which pushed the module carrying the astronauts towards a planned Wednesday rendezvous with the space station. The three-man crew is scheduled to spend 123 days in space.