Space Station faces desertion

NASA says astronauts may need to abandon the International Space Station this autumn.

If Russian Soyuz rockets remain grounded beyond mid-November, there will be no way to launch new crews before the current residents are to leave.

A Russian supply ship was destroyed during lift-off last week. The rocket is similar to what’s used to launch astronauts.

Three of the six space station astronauts, meanwhile, will remain in orbit for at least an extra week. They were supposed to return to Earth on September 8. And the late September launch of a fresh crew has been delayed as well.

NASA space station programme manager, Mike Suffredini, said flight controllers could keep a deserted space station operating indefinitely.