In the meantime, NASA must depend on Russian Progress cargo craft as well as European and Japanese transports for space station resupply.

MSN: Space station's private hookup delayed till March

After a near-fatal collision with a cargo craft in 1997, Mir has enjoyed a relatively trouble-free period of late, although it needs constant small repairs.

CNN: Space crew reaches Mir for possibly last mission

Moscow (CNN) -- The Russian space agency on Monday postponed the launch of a new manned mission to the International Space Station due to last week's accident in which an unmanned cargo craft was lost, the state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

CNN: Russia postpones new manned space station mission

We're the only craft capable of bringing significant cargo back from the space station.

WSJ: An Electric Car and a Trip to Mars

Later this year two spacecraft, one which has been designed by Orbital Sciences, a Virginia-based firm, and another by SpaceX, a Californian company run by Elon Musk, an internet entrepreneur, will make cargo runs to the ISS. The hope is that such craft will soon be able to carry humans too, and at a far lower cost than NASA's efforts.

ECONOMIST: The space shuttle

The toughest test of the SpaceX capsule is set to occur Friday, when the cargo capsule is expected to steadily move closer to the station in a weightless ballet with the larger craft.

WSJ: SpaceX Craft Rehearses Moves