NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine

in the mission briefing room just before the SpaceX CREW-1 launch to the ISS.

“These are Exciting times for space. The NASA budget is at it’s all time high in nominal dollars. Commercial free fliers and private space stations to come. We want LEO to be commercial because we want to go to the moon, to stay. And we want to take that knowledge and go to Mars. We have learned so much about Martian resources. It’s time. We need to go to Mars. The moon is the proving ground. Mars is the destination. Today’s launch is a step to getting us there.”