How NASA is planning to get humans to Mars

The upcoming Artemis II mission is the first step in a long mission

Illustrative collage of a rocket circling a red planet
(Image credit: Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images)

In 2023, NASA announced the crew of its upcoming Artemis II mission, which will be the first manned trip to the moon since 1972. The mission is expected to launch no earlier than September 2025, and will be the second flight of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS). It has several goals, one of them being to take the first step toward the agency's ultimate goal: getting humans to Mars. However, there are still numerous hurdles involved, and it remains unclear when we might see people walking on the Red Planet.

How will NASA get to Mars?

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Justin Klawans, The Week US

Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.