Posted: Sat, Jul 20, 2019, 10:24 AM ET (1424 GMT)
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine says he won't rule out a first human mission to Mars in 2033. Bridenstine said in a call with reporters Monday that the agency is studying how its accelerated return to the moon can pull forward plans for human missions to Mars. An independent report earlier this year concluded that a 2033 Mars mission, a goal set by some in the space community and in Congress, was not feasible, but Bridenstine said the report's assumptions, which used NASA's exploration architecture, may not be accurate. NASA has placed a new emphasis on its long-term Mars plans since a tweet by President Trump in June that appeared to criticize NASA for talking too much about going back to the moon.

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