Jim Oberg posted this on the FPSPACE bbs:

From sci.space.station, "The French weekly "Air & Cosmos" newsmagazine reported a rumour which
is as follows : according to "authorized" sources (at ESA ?) there's a plan to increase ISS crew size to 5 using the ATV as a "safe haven". Here's the deal : in case of major emergency, 3 crew abandon station using the Soyuz, 2 crew tough it out in the ATV for 1-2 months before a 2nd Soyuz with just 1 pilot comes up to rescue them. The rationale is that the ATV has power, plenty of consumables, isolated pressurized volume, independent comms capability, and ISS attitude control capability. That plus a 6-month on-orbit lifetime in powered-up mode and much more in dormant mode."

Raoul