In his opinion piece, he said: "We have set a clear goal vital to the next chapter of America's story in space: sending humans to Mars by the 2030s and returning them safely to Earth, with the ultimate ambition to one day remain there for an extended time.
"Getting to Mars will require continued cooperation between government and private innovators, and we're already well on our way."
He said that he would be convening leading scientists, engineers and innovators in Pittsburgh this week to "dream up ways to build on our progress and find the next frontiers".