NASA is preparing to resume manned flights to the moon, and they're going to do it with some help from American companies.

Thursday afternoon at its Washington D.C. headquarters, the agency is expected with the U.S. companies that will assist in these manned lunar missions. The special event will be broadcast on NASA TV and .

"The U.S. is returning to the surface of the Moon, and we’re doing it sooner than you think," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine in a tweet.

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NASA and its partners will work together to explore the moon as part of , which was signed by President Donald Trump last December. The directive began a return to manned lunar missions, as well as missions to Mars and beyond, according to NASA.

The directive will rely on a strong partnershipbetween the public and private sectors, which is expected to be reiterated during the Thursday press conference.

The public will also be able to ask the panel questions using the Twitter hashtag #askNASA or by leaving comments on the live stream on .