Congress Passes Bill Encouraging NASA To Send Humans To Mars In 2030s

Congress has passed a bill, the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017, that appropriates $19.5 billion to the agency. Along with giving NASA money, the document requests the agency put together a plan to get humans "near or on the surface of Mars in the 2030s."

NASA has also been told to continue working on its Space Launch System and the Orion space capsule.

This bill was created by the Senate and House over a period of months. It's the first time in years that a NASA-related bill of this sort has passed.