NASA has just announced plans for the most powerful rocket since Saturn V flew the first astronauts to the Moon. The agency says that the new Space Launch System (SLS) will allow humans to travel farther into space than anyone has ever ventured before, including to an asteroid by 2025 and Mars a decade later ― goals set by President Obama.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said, “The launch system will create good-paying American jobs, ensure continued U.S. leadership in space, and inspire millions around the world. President Obama challenged us to be bold and dream big, and that’s exactly what we are doing at NASA. While I was proud to fly on the space shuttle, tomorrow’s explorers will now dream of one day walking on Mars.”

The NASA website has a description of the SLS, along with a video simulation and artists’ concepts of the launch system and its destinations.

The September 2011 issue of Congressional Digest on Space Exploration delved into NASA’s transition from the recently terminated space shuttle program to its new deep-space exploration plan. Like all government agencies, NASA has been feeling the effects of an unstable economy, and its budget has been frozen at 2010 levels ― so paying for the new program, expected to cost $35 billion over time, may involve creative budget maneuvering. Unlike many agencies, however,  NASA has the  rare advantage of bipartisan support.