NASA officials are hopeful Russia will return the venerable Soyuz
booster to service in time to avert such a circumstance, which would
put the space station at increased risk in the event of serious
equipment malfunctions.

Engineers are analyzing what's needed to keep the station alive in
case astronauts have to pull out of the international laboratory,
according to Michael Suffredini, NASA's space station program
manager.

"There is a greater risk of losing ISS if it were unmanned than if it
were manned," Suffredini said Monday. "The risk increase is not
insignificant