If you're a kid dreaming of going to Mars, you've got a decent chance of making it to the Red Planet if you start working towards that dream right now.

NASA has admitted it intends to stick to its goal of sending humans to Mars by the decade of the 2030s. That's 16 years from now and if you're a 10-year-old kid infatuated with astronomy, science fiction and Star Trek, you'll only be 26 when the 2030s comes around.

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On its website, NASA has said it intends to send humans to Mars. Humans as in anyone qualified for the trip.

Human doesn't only mean American. It means anyone of any nationality on the Earth.

There's a great FAQ on the NASA website that answers many of your questions about how to become one of the elite few that make the eight month long journey to the Red Planet. Humans will colonize Mars, and that's a sure thing.

You can visit http://www.nasa.gov/offices/marsplanning/faqs/.

Here's what NASA says about a kid's chances of making it to Mars.

"You could go to Mars! Astronauts have a variety of science, technology, engineering and mathematics backgrounds, and an even broader group of people on Earth will support Mars exploration missions!

"NASA will need people to help us learn how to prepare for the journey, grow food during the trip, handle recycling needs and build systems to take us to Mars and support systems here on Earth. We also will need experts in software development and communications systems."

If you really want to be a "Martian," see to it your college degree matches what NASA wants.

And, yes, you'll return to Earth. NASA wants it that way for a simple reason: you'll have to share your knowledge and experiences first-hand with us earthlings.

"We want our crews to return with valuable scientific insights," says NASA. "Also, their unique learning experiences will greatly benefit future missions to the Red Planet."

The return trip scenario is a hot button topic since a number of scientists are pushing for a one-way trip to Mars. That means that earthlings who travel to Mars will live on Mars until they die.

NASA is looking at two scenarios for going to Mars and returning to Earth. The first requires astronauts to remain on Mars for only a few weeks before returning.

The second scenario will have astronauts spend over a year on the Red Planet. The overall mission duration ranges from about a year to close to three years.

NASA does have the technology to land humans safely on the Red Planet. This is the heavy lift "Space Launch System" that is currently being built.

NASA cautions, however, that current technology is not advanced enough to get humans there efficiently.

"We are continuing to develop technologies to improve that efficiency. Another challenge we are actively working to overcome is the heat shield that will be needed to protect the returning capsule as it passes through Earth's atmosphere."

With current technology, NASA's robotic missions usually take some eight months to reach Mars. NASA said it is exploring options to minimize the duration of a human voyage to Mars.

NASA is working hard to meet President Obama's goal of sending humans to Mars in the 2030s. It is developing the technology it will need and designing safety measures to protect its astronauts from the harsh environment of outer space.

Some plans for Mars advocate not only landing on the planet but settling on and "terraforming" Mars. The twin Martian moons of Phobos and Deimos will be explored for commercial gain.

The mammoth cost of sending humans to Mars has been the major obstacle to any mission. Estimates range from only US$6 billion to an astounding US$500 billion for different crewed programs.