Bill Nelson

I think it is very shortsighted to think that this thing is going to be cutoff in 2020.

Thank you, Mr. Gerstenmaier.

You know, we have come a long way. Mr. Gerstenmaier, remember when we flew John Glenn 50 years ago? We did not know what was going to happen to the human eyeball. And it has been rather extraordinary, our ability to experience space.

Before the Senator from Montana leaves, I want to ask him a question. Did he hear, earlier this evening, a Senator come out here and say he thought the DISCLOSE Act would intimidate people from participating in the political process? Is…

Mr. Chairman, accountable care organizations, are they not to address this? Isn't that why we put them in the health care bill?

I want to thank the witnesses for being especially very much to the point and mindful of the time.

Well, if you get yourself around the regulatory--and by the way, this INKSNA--we do not have any choice.

This is pretty typical of most of our launch contracts.

Thank you, Senator Hutchison.

We believe that commercial is the way to do it in an efficient way to put people there to do the experiments.

And I bring that attention to that subject because many people have missed that very good piece of news of what is happening on board the Space Station where six humans are right now.

It is true that some of the competitors are saying that they could go earlier.

In light of Mr. Gold's experience of going and finding a much cheaper rocket, do you expect those costs to come down considerably?

Having commanded the International Space Station, I share with this committee an understanding of its great value to America and indeed to the world.

And then are we to assume that there is the normal indemnification when you all get into the big rocket, the SLS and Orion?

OK. If you all will check that and let us know.

And Mr. Gold and Captain Lopez, having some assurance of the safety by NASA with their regulations I assume is going to be extremely important to you for your customers.

How does the prohibition on regulation hamper your ability to discuss, plan, and propose future safety regulations for spaceflight passengers and crew?

Of course, but I can tell you that because we were not minding the store back in the 1980s and we started allowing American satellites to be launched on the Chinese launch vehicle, the Long March, significant American technology was…

Will NASA do that kind of balanced budgeting going forward rather than this constant pull as if there is a competition between the present and the future?

Under what appears to be going to be the number coming out of the NASA appropriations bill for commercial crew, $525 million, with a down select to two and a half competitors, when do you think that with $525 million -- what is the…

So this is a very important time that we get it right and that the success that we have had thus far is quite promising.

I want to especially thank Senators Nelson and Hutchison for your tireless support over the many years.

I think the American people are suddenly going to fixate on that once we see come out of the FDA trials the first major vaccine that is going to have a profound effect here on Earth as a result of the research that occurred in the…

And so clearly, when you come to the national security interests, you do have interests and you got to pay attention to them.