NASA 'Mars Day' Puts Spotlight on How We'll Get There

Getting humans to Mars, one of Earth's nearest planetary neighbors, has been an endless source of fascination for NASA — and something the space agency hopes to achieve in the early 2030s.

In honor of the Red Planet, NASA is calling today #NASAMarsDay and celebrating by answering questions and sharing a behind-the-scenes look on social media detailing the steps it has been taking to prepare for the eventual journey. NASA has also launched a series of Instagram and Snapchat stories.

The special event is set to conclude tonight with the hot fire test of an RS-25 engine at NASA's Stennis Space Center.

Four of these engines will ultimately power the Space Launch System, also known as SLS, which is the heavy duty rocket NASA will use to send astronauts on deep space missions. The event will be streamed on NASA TV beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

While robotic Mars missions have been roving the Red Planet for decades, the challenges of sending humans there are complex.

Source - Nbcnews.com