WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States will send humans to planet Mars within the next 15 years, US President Barack Obama said in an opinion piece published on Tuesday.
"We have set a clear goal vital to the next chapter of America's story in space: sending humans to Mars by the 2030s and returning them safely to Earth, with the ultimate ambition to one day remain there for an extended time," Obama stated in an article written for CNN.
Obama noted this goal will require coordination between both the US government and private companies. Commercial partners have already started working with the government on building new habitats able to sustain and transport astronauts on long missions, according to the op-ed.
In the next two years, US private companies will send the first astronauts to the International Space Station, Obama added.
