If we do that, you are absolutely right, the costs per launch will be driven down.

If we want to accelerate to get to the Moon as soon as possible, the SLS is a critical piece of that, and so is the Exploration Upper Stage.

Another great question. The key is to test in a way that we know that we optimize the success of the first launch.

It is a concern. We are in a position now, because of the International Space Station, we are commercializing low Earth orbit rapidly.

The key is to have missions for SLS, and given, as you said, what the vice president said yesterday, we are, in fact, going to have missions for SLS.

This is an important question and I want to make sure that I get it just right.

You have my commitment that we are going to continue studying the Earth across large parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.

SLS is the world's only human rated rocket in its class designed from the ground up to safely transport astronauts to the moon and deep space.

We have right now, about $4 and a half million dollars that we spend utilizing it on an annual basis and that is going to scale to about $5 million by 2022.

I am a strong supporter of NASA and believe that its missions help keep the United States at the forefront of space exploration and scientific research.

Our future literally depends on it, which makes these proposals so troubling.

Our goal is to make sure that we are reaching the right folks at the right time.

while some of these alternative vehicles could work, none was capable of achieving our goals in orbit around the moon for the EM-1 within our timeline and on budget.

NASA is one of the--it is the most attacked agency in the Federal government when it comes to cybersecurity.

We do not want to damage the commercialization of low earth orbit because we are charging for something that they can get for free in a different country.

I believe in transparency and openness.

Yes, I do believe those kind of programs and opportunities on the International Space Station--we need to reexamine those.

Number one, you know, back then, if you look at real dollars, the budget of NASA was about $50 billion annually.

We want those kind of activities happening inside the United States of America.

It is without question that human activities are contributing to the global warming that we are seeing.

It is my objective, as the NASA Administrator, not to delve into how to deal with what we find, but to deliver dispassionate science so that policymakers can make decisions on it.

Yes, I do. I think we need a balanced portfolio, Senator.

It is my goal as the Administrator of NASA to follow the decadal surveys that we get from the National Academy of Sciences, and that is my objective, to make sure that what we are doing is apolitical and nonpartisan.

It is probably possible, yes.

We cannot cede low earth orbit to China or to any other nation.