Article Posted on : - Dec 05, 2012

CHICAGO (AFP): NASA plans to send a new rover to Mars in 2020 as it prepares for a manned mission to the Red Planet, the US space agency said.

The announcement came Tuesday, a day after NASA released the results of the first soil tested by the Curiosity rover, which found traces of some of the compounds like water and oxygen that are necessary for life.

The administration of President Barack Obama "is committed to a robust Mars exploration programme," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement.

"With this next mission, we're ensuring America remains the world leader in the exploration of the Red Planet, while taking another significant step toward sending humans there in the 2030s."