[CCIP]

I think the Soyuz is a fantastic system, and when I say that we really need to get past it I don't mean to disrespect it. But we really DO need to move space science forward. It bothers me that as of this year, Soyuz will again be the "premiere" system for working in space - a 45-year-old system that is essentially riding atop a 55-year-old "7" series ICBM. The big, big selling point of space exploration for me is not saving money and cutting corners - it has to advance science and engineering with technology that will later be transferable for more down-to-earth uses. If we're not pushing the envelope at all, I think we're really limiting not only what we can do in space exploration, but what space exploration can do for us in the long run.