Russia plans first manned launch to the ISS on December 3: Reports

Moscow: On Wednesday Russia said the first manned launch to the International Space Station after a failed blast-off this month will take place on December 3. Sergei Krikalyov the executive director of Russia's Roscosmos space agency told RIA Novosti state news agency: "The industry is now making considerable efforts to move forward the launch to December 3."

After the accident on October 11, Russia suspended all launches, exceptional for Russia's post-Soviet manned launches, that saw the rocket fail minutes after blast-off. Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin and NASA astronaut Nick Hague returned safely back to Earth in their capsule.

The next astronauts heading to the ISS will be Russia's Oleg Kononenko, Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques and NASA astronaut Anne McClain. Prior to the accident, NASA told they were set to blast off on December 20.

Krikalyov added that the astronauts currently on the ISS are expected to land on Earth "around December 20." They had been due to land on December 13.

The crew on board currently is Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos.