WorldWASHINGTON, AFP -US President Barack Obama said Tuesday the United States will partner with private industry to send people to Mars by the 2030s, adding commercial interests to Washington's previously announced plan. California-based SpaceX, headed by Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk, is also planning to send people to Mars in the coming years. Ever since taking office eight years ago, Obama has said the United States wants to send people to the Red Planet, Earth's neighbor, by the 2030s. NASA is developing a powerful rocket known as the Space Launch System and a deep space capsule, Orion, for this purpose. A US mission to send humans into the area of space beyond the Moon, but not as far is Mars, is planned for the 2020s.

Source: Sunday Times October 11, 2016 13:52 UTC