A STATEMENT FROM RUSSIAN SPACE AGENCY DIRECTOR JIMBO FISHER

First off, I wanna reiterate that me and my assistants here at Roscosmos pride ourselves on running a clean space program. We learn a cargo bay's being used to transport drugs, we get rid of that cargo bay. Same thing if we find out one of our booster rockets isn't representing this program the right way in the community. The media wants y'all to think all we care about is getting to outer space and it don't matter how we do it. That's flat out wrong.

Now, I can confirm that Progress M-27M is tumbling towards Earth. It's too early for me to say much more than that; I want to respect the gravitational process while it runs its course. But I'm tired of people suggesting something's wrong with our space program. That we've got "bad spacecraft." Lemme tell you what, it's a PRIVILEGE to be part of Roscosmos. Some rockets get that, and some don't. If they don't, we deal with that internally. What I won't do is stand by while you all try to tear 'em down, because I truly believe these are good space vehicles. Wouldn't be doing this job if I didn't.

Progress M-27M is one of those good vehicles, and I'll tell you for a fact it's made great strides with us. Why, M-27M could barely get from Zhirnovsk and Bogoroditsk a couple years ago. So I'm not giving up on this or any other of my rockets just because it's not perfect. I'm not perfect. Neither are y'all. If M-27M keeps hurtling towards the thermosphere and disintegrates upon reentry, it won't be part of our space plans moving forward. Simple as that. But for now, I'm not jumping to any conclusions.

I'll take questions, provided they're about our race to beat Boston College to Mars.