Jim Bridenstine: “You're absolutely right; chemical rockets are expensive.”

The only rocket that is going to be available to take humans by 2024 is the SLS rocket with the Orion crew capsule.

Here's what we know: China is not going to slow down. That means that we, as a country, need to come together, figure out what the architecture is, be committed to a process and then move forward as rapidly as possible.

I think, Mr. Ranking Member, that would put us in a position to make landing in 2024 very, very difficult.

I think there is a concern that I have heard and the concern is schedule pressure.