The US government has hatched a plan to blast some people over to Mars in the next few decades, President Obama announced 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 wrote in an essay published by CNN.
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The government will be partnering with private companies to accomplish the long haul to the red planet. The first step will come with private firms sending individuals to the International Space Station—a task that Obama says will happen within the next two years.
“I’m excited to announce that we are working with our commercial partners to build new habitats that can sustain and transport astronauts on long-duration missions in deep space,” Obama continued. “These missions will teach us how humans can live far from Earth—something we’ll need for the long journey to Mars.”
While it does seem pretty cool to think that humans could be hoofing around on Mars by the time Ivanka Trump is probably running for president, Obama didn’t mention the fact that cosmic rays from deep space might send Mars explorers into a crippling space insanity. Hopefully Leo DiCaprio will be alright.
Read: How Will Humanity Need to Change if We Want to Live on Other Planets?
