CNN CNN Newsroom June 29, 2014 22:57:00
This is more advanced than the space shuttles, right? so what will it involve? >> for one thing, take us a lot farther than we've been really since 1972 in space. as a matter of fact, this unmanned mission at the end of the year will travel to an orbital altitude of more than 3,000 miles, just by comparison, the international space station orbits 250 miles, where the shuttle spent most of its time. so, this is developing into space in a much deeper way and this mission in 2017 that is contemplated would actually send astronauts in the vicinity, although still kind of sketchy, in the vicinity o...