The returning crew had been operating the ship for nearly eight months.

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In the current harsh operating environment, a small number of cabin crew, mechanics or catering staff can bring a carrier to its knees within weeks especially if they cannot easily be replaced.

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Over the next six months the crew will perform 137 investigations on the US operating segment of the station, and 44 on the Russian segment, according to a statement from the US space agency, Nasa.

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"The entire process is quite involved, given that there are more than 3, 100 passengers and nearly 1, 100 crew, and this is compounded by the ship only operating on emergency power, " he said.

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