U.S. to send people to Mars by 2030s: Barack Obama

Americans may not be returning to the moon, but they will head to Mars very soon, U.S. President Barack Obama said in a special op-ed for CNN.

“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 said.

READ MORE: From the moon to Mars—Why is it taking us so long?

His assertion comes more than a week after SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk revealed his company’s bold vision to get humans to the red planet.

Musk’s plan — which involved a “colonial fleet” — would take humans to Mars by 2025, years sooner than NASA has outlined. However, in releasing his plans, Musk acknowledged that funding had to also come from government and other sectors.

WATCH: Elon Musk lays out his plans for Mars project

2:30 Elon Musk lays out his plans for Mars project

The advancement of the private sector in the bid to colonize Mars is something Obama addressed as well.

“Getting to Mars will require continued co-operation between government and private innovators, and we’re already well on our way. Within the next two years, private companies will for the first time send astronauts to the International Space Station,” he said referring to the contracts NASA has with SpaceX and Boeing.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Getting to Mars will require continued co-operation between government and private innovators, and we're already well on our way. Within the next two years, private companies will for the first time send astronauts to the International Space Station," he said referring to the contracts NASA has with SpaceX and Boeing.

Obama also revealed that the government is working with commercial partners on building new habitats that will be used to take astronauts on long-duration trips in space.

READ MORE: WATCH—Elon Musk reveals bold plans to colonize Mars

The biggest challenge to getting humans beyond low-Earth orbit, such as on the International Space Station, is the effects it has on our health and bodies. Once humans leave the protective layers of Earth’s magnetic field, we are exposed to cosmic radiation. Neither Musk, nor Obama addressed this in their plans.

However, in an attempt to better understand the effects of long-duration spaceflight, NASA conducted the One-Year Mission aboard the space station where astronaut Scott Kelly spent one year in space.

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