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NASA has completed work on a new rocket which could one day carry human astronauts on a mission to the Red Planet.

The Space Launch System is the most powerful spaceship ever built and is designed to "meet the challenges of the journey to Mars".

It is the first "exploration class" rocket since the legendary Saturn V, which ferried astronauts to the moon during the Apollo era between 1966 and 1973.

“We’ve nailed down the design of SLS, we’ve successfully completed the first round of testing of the rocket’s engines and boosters, and all the major components for the first flight are now in production,” said Bill Hill, deputy associate administrator of NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Division.

"There have been challenges, and there will be more ahead, but this review gives us confidence that we are on the right track for the first flight of SLS and using it to extend permanent human presence into deep space."

The new rocket has passed important preliminary tests and is expected to blast off on a test mission in 2018.

"This is a major step in the design and readiness of SLS,” added John Honeycutt, SLS program manager.

"Our team has worked extremely hard, and we are moving forward with building this rocket. We are qualifying hardware, building structural test articles, and making real progress."