[Paleo Conservative]

It would take many fewer much safer launches.

The individual launches might not be any safer, but since they would be unmanned no one would get hurt if there were a malfunction. Even if the risks were the same per launch, with fewer launches there is a lower probability of encountering a catastrophic failure lifting modules for the ISS.

[null and void]

Less equipment, fewer systems, (e.g. no need ofr life support) = less to go wrong, fewer failures.