NASA establishes 'Moon to Mars' office to help get astronauts to Red Planet

NASA has set up a new office to manage the agency's crewed activities at and around the moon and Mars.

"The Moon to Mars Program Office will help prepare NASA to carry out our bold missions to the moon and land the first humans on Mars," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement on Thursday (March 30).

"The golden age of exploration is happening right now, and this new office will help ensure that NASA successfully establishes a long-term lunar presence needed to prepare for humanity's next giant leap to the Red Planet," Nelson added.

The new office, which was required by the 2022 NASA Authorization Act, will be part of the agency's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate and report to that organization's leader, Jim Free.

Related: NASA's Artemis program: Everything you need to know

NASA is working to set up a permanent, sustainable presence on and around the moon via its Artemis program.

One Artemis mission is already in the books: Artemis 1 sent an uncrewed Orion capsule to lunar orbit and back late last year, proving the flight-worthiness of the spacecraft and its rocket ride, the huge new Space Launch System.

NASA is currently gearing up for Artemis 2, which will send four astronauts around the moon in late 2024, if all goes according to plan. The Artemis 2 crew will consist of three NASA astronauts and one Canadian spaceflyer; we'll learn their identities during a live announcement on Monday (April 3).