Nasa has dreamed of a manned mission to Mars since launching a satellite into the red planet's orbit 45 years ago.

Now, Congress could be set to make a solid commitment to this longstanding goal.

The Senate introduced a bipartisan bill that authorizes a new $19.5 billion budget for Nasa to send a crew to the red planet, but mandates it must happen within the next 25 years.

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The Senate introduced a bipartisan bill that authorizes a new $19.5 billion budget for Nasa to send a crew to the red planet, but mandates it must happen within the next 25 years

WHAT DOES THE BILL SAY? The Senate introduced a bipartisan bill that authorizes a new $19.5 billion budget for Nasa to send a crew to the red planet, but mandates it must happen within the next 25 years. This bill also blocks the incoming US president from up heaving the nation's space program. This bill also marks the first time a trip to Mars has been mandated by law. Money will be delegated by the legislation for different components of the mission to Mars, such as $4.5 billion for exploration. The bill also provides a range of vital space programs the agency is set to carry out, such as continued development of the new Space Launch System launchers and the Orion Earth-orbit-and-beyond spacecraft. Advertisement

'In order to maximize the cost-effectiveness of the long-term exploration and utilization activities of the United States, the Administrator shall take all necessary steps, including engaging international academic, and industry partners to ensure the activities in the Administration's human exploration program balance how those activities might also help meet the requirement of future exploration and utilization activities leading to human habitation on the surface of Mars,' reads the bill, S.3346.

The Senate also views this solid bill as way to block the incoming US president from up heaving the nation's space program, reports USA Today.

And it may be in response to President Obama's move to scrap the Bush administration's Constellation program that looked to send astronauts back to the moon, which many were not fond of.

'We have seen in the past the importance of stability and predictability in NASA and space exploration, (and) that whenever one has a change in administration, we have seen the chaos that can be caused by the cancellation of major programs,' said Senator Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who chairs the subcommittee overseeing the space program.

'The impact in terms of jobs lost, the impact in terms of money wasted has been significant.'

This bill also marks the first time a trip to Mars has been mandated by law.

'Fifty-five years after President Kennedy challenged the nation to put a man on the moon, the Senate is challenging NASA to put humans on Mars,' said Florida Senator Bill Nelson, senior Democrat on the Commerce panel.

Money will be delegated by the legislation for different components (pictured) of the mission to Mars, such as $4.5 billion for exploration, some $5 bullion for space operation about $5.4 billion for science

'The priorities that we've laid out for NASA in this bill mark the beginning of a new era of American spaceflight.'

Money will be delegated by the legislation for different components of the mission to Mars, such as $4.5 billion for exploration, some $5 billion for space operation about $5.4 billion for science.

HOW LONG WILL A MANNED MISSION TO MARS TAKE? Owing to the orbits of Earth and Mars there are specific windows of opportunity when a mission can take place. Our planets come as close to each other as 33.9 million miles (54.6 million km), but can be as distant as 250 million miles (400 million km). For this reason spacecraft to Mars, such as the Curiosity rover, have to launch in certain windows when the planets are aligned. The Senate also views this solid bill as way to block the incoming US president from up heaving the nation's space program. It is the first time a space mission has been mandated by law. Pictured is Mount Sharp on Mars that was taken in 2012 by Curiosity The next window is open from January 2016 to April 2016, and will see the launch of two more missions to the red planet. For a future manned mission, they will need to launch out in one of the windows and return in one, which will take two years in total. Just getting there will take up to nine months. The astronauts will be there waiting for a year until they can come back - a total of around three years. But no human has spent more than 14 months continuously in space so research is needed to see how the crew will cope. Advertisement

The bill also provides a range of vital space programs the agency is set to carry out, such as continued development of the new Space Launch System launchers and the Orion Earth-orbit-and-beyond spacecraft.

The law states that Nasa is to have an unmanned crew mission underway in 2018 and in 2021 send a manned mission.

Nasa has dreamed of a manned mission to Mars since launching a satellite into the red planet's orbit 40 years ago. Now with the new budget one astronaut could soon be a real life Mark Watney from 'The Martian' (pictured)

It also states that agency has to work to keep the ISS operational until at least 2024 and to complete new spacesuits for Mars.