The first steps have already been taken in the human journey to Mars. Embarking on a path of exploration even more ambitious than the Apollo missions of 45 years ago, NASA is currently laying the foundation to fulfill the dream of decades by sending astronauts to the Red Planet. Building on the success of robotic exploration of Mars, NASA will take a major step toward human missions with a test launch of the Orion crew vehicle in December 2014. That launch will pave the way for the upcoming launch of Orion on Space Launch System, the world's most powerful rocket. Together, Orion and SLS will serve as the backbone that will eventually enable human missions to Mars. Important knowledge for the journey is also currently being gained aboard the International Space Station, where astronauts from around the world are learning more about long-duration spaceflight. Beginning very soon, a series of increasingly ambitious missions will build on those first steps, culminating in the first steps on Mars.