Any time "traditional" comes up I have to wonder at
which tradition; How far back do they mean? Every tradition changes somewhat over time, some more slowly than others. Tradition is just the name we give to describe the things that were done before us; innovation is just the name we give to things we didn't know about before their invention (e.g. When my dad was a kid, he invented the bow and arrow; he was innovative for his situation, despite the fact that the concept had existed for thousands of years elsewhere).
Space flight innovative? I heard about some stuff that happened long long ago in a place far far away that makes our space flight look a bit weak.