Casella says only $3.3 million dollars is needed to keep the plane flying to these West African countries until the end of the year.

VOA: standard.2009.08.02

All five station partners - the US, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada - have indicated their desire to keep flying the platform until at least 2020.

BBC: Manned flight around Moon considered

On Monday Boris Bodin, head of the Russian Space Agency's long-term planning department, acknowledged that Moscow may keep Mir flying longer than earlier announced, until several months after the arrival of the living quarters module in July 1999.

CNN: Russia reluctant to let Mir die