This artist's rendering represents a concept of the Orion crew exploration vehicle in lunar orbit, part of the constellation project that will be retained.

Credit: NASA

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTRE: U.S. President Barack Obama has set a bold new goals for space: send American astronauts to asteroids then into Mars orbit by the mid-2030s, design crewed missions for deep space and ramp up robotic exploration to boot.

And he sought to quell a storm of outrage that met earlier plans unveiled by his administration, vowing before NASA staff that he was "100% committed" to their mission and the U.S. space agency's future.

"As president, I believe that space exploration is not a luxury, it's not an afterthought in America's quest for a brighter future. It is an essential part of that quest," he said at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

Criticism after dropping Constellation

Obama was making a whirlwind trip to the heart of the U.S. space industry after stinging criticism of his decision to drop the costly Constellation project, which had aimed to put Americans back on the Moon.

Obama, who was accompanied by astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the Moon, said his administration would pump six billion more dollars into the NASA budget over the next five years.

But he had specific ideas how it should be spent.

The Moon: "been there", done that

"We should attempt a return to the surface of the Moon first, as previously planned. But I just have to say, pretty bluntly here, we've been there before. Buzz has been there," Obama said.

"There's a lot more of space to explore and a lot more to learn when we do," he said, to loud applause.

"By 2025 we expect new spacecraft designed for long journeys to allow us to begin the first ever crew missions beyond the Moon into deep space."

Mars by mid-2030

"So, we'll start by sending astronauts to an asteroid for the first time in history. By the mid-2030s, I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to earth, and a landing on Mars will follow."

In a nod to critics who say the new approach will costs jobs and undermine American leadership in space exploration, Obama said he was retaining part of the Constellation project, the Orion capsule.

Obama said he had instructed NASA administrator Charles Bolden to immediately begin the design of a rescue vehicle using technology already developed for the Orion capsule.