NASA•GETTY NASA has shared these stunning images of the surface of Mars

NASA's stunning images of Mars Wed, March 29, 2017 Mars in pictures: NASA shares stunning images of red planet. Play slideshow NASA 1 of 15 Layered deposits in Uzboi Vallis

A journey to the red planet may have seemed like science-fiction just a few decades ago but today it is almost a reality. The space agency NASA is looking to reach the planet by the year 2033 – a plan agreed upon in 2010. This massive scientific undertaking is the culmination of 40 years of surface exploration undertaken by NASA. Ahead of its manned Mars mission, scientists across the globe are joining powers to find ways of supporting life on Mars.

The ambitious plans rage from designing habitable and easy to mass produce living environments, to introducing ecosystem building microbes to create oxygen. NASA: “We are well on our way to getting there, landing there, and living there.” But in the meantime, the American space agency has been capturing breathtaking snapshots of the planet’s surface to better understand it. These pictures give insight into the alien world that in many ways is still very similar to that on Earth. NASA LIVE STREAM: WATCH INCREDIBLE FOOTAGE OF EARTH FOM SPACE

Much like Earth, Mars is home to various canyons, valleys, sand dunes and remains of ancient rivers. The red colour of Mars is due to the high concentration of iron oxide on the surface - the same compound that makes blood red.

It’s humanity’s next giant leap. And we’re closer than we’ve ever been Lockheed Martin

Private contractor Lockheed Martin, which is helping NASA to reach Mars, said: “It’s humanity’s next giant leap. And we’re closer than we’ve ever been.” The company added: “The concept is simple: transport astronauts from Earth to a Mars-orbiting science laboratory where they can perform real-time scientific exploration, analyze Martian rock and soil samples, and confirm the ideal place to land humans on the surface in the 2030s." Over the years many space probes and landers have reached the the distant planet in order to study it. Mars is the namesake of the Roman God of War and the fourth planet from the sun.

GETTY NASA spent the past 40 years studying the planet for a future manned mission