NASA Administrator Charles Bolden spoke about human space flight one week before the scheduled launch of the final Space Shuttle mission. In his remarks he vowed that the U.S. would not lose its strategic position in the field, as some critics had suggested. He detailed plans to rely on private contractors to transport cargo and humans to the International Space Station. He also talked about deep space travel and a planned mission to an asteroid in 2025 using the MPCV (multi-purpose crew vehicle).