With the ongoing explorations in Mars, it's not surprising to find NASA in the headlines - updating with new discoveries.

However, now, NASA is confident that mankind could finally live on the Earth's more complicated cousin much sooner than we all expected.

As per Huffington Post, NASA administrator Charles Bolden said: "We are father down the path to sending humans to Mars than at any point in NASA's history. [...] We have a lot of work to do to get human to Mars, but we'll get there."

The work that needs to be done to make it happen includes finishing the development of the rockets and the space vessel that will transport humans to and from Mars.

This also includes the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft, which is currently still undergoing testing.

In addition, Complex reports: "Bolden also confirms that preparations for the Red Planet's inaugural manned mission are moving forward as anticipated, with the first human foot expected to touch the planet's surface as soon as 2030."

The next Mars rover mission's initiative is in 2020, which will carry the Mars Oxygen ISRU experiment, MOXIE. This project will be able to "take carbon dioxide out of the thin Martian atmosphere and produce oxygen."

"We're going to make oxygen on another planet, the first time ever to make oxygen on another planet. [...] These experiments, they're real. They're here," said NASA deputy administrator Dava Newman.

The only thing holding back these expeditions and studies though, is the funding. With enough money, the first manned mission to Mars could actually happen in 2030, as anticipated.

"But I don't have faith in Congress to give them enough money to make that happen, so I'm being a little more conservative," said "The Martian" author Andy Weir.

"The Martian" has also been turned into a film, and stars Matt Damon. Catch it in theatres on October 2.