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How Long Does It Take to Get to Mars?

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All eyes are on the red planet lately. Thanks to a number of missions in the past few years – including the Perseverance Rover that touched down Feb. 22, 2021 – Mars is increasingly interesting to astronomers, astrophysicists and future astronauts. NASA plans to put astronauts on Mars in the future, and Elon Musk keeps claiming he'll do it first , but before we strap in and blast off, it helps to know exactly how long it takes to get to there.

Mars completes one turn around the sun every 687 Earth days . This means that the distance between Earth and Mars changes every day, and the two planets are aligned closely to one another roughly every 26 months . Additionally, because both Earth and Mars have elliptical orbits (and Mars' is more elliptical than Earth's), some of our close approaches are closer than others. The most recent notable close approach was Oct. 6, 2020, when Mars was just 38.57 million miles (62.07 million kilometers) from Earth.

So how long does it take to travel the almost 40 million miles to Mars? That depends on your speed. For example, the Perseverance rover traveled at a speed of about 24,600 mph (about 39,600 kph) and the journey took seven months , but that's because of where the Earth and Mars were at the time Perseverance was launched and where they were when it landed. If you could travel as fast as the New Horizons spacecraft (which is famous for visiting Pluto back in 2015), you could potentially reach Mars in as little as 39 days depending on the alignment of the planets and the 36,000 mph (58,000 kph) speed that New Horizons reached. Historically, spacecraft have taken anywhere between 128 days (Mariner 7 on a flyby) and 333 days (Viking 2 Orbiter/Lander, the second U.S. landing on Mars) .

Since no human has traveled to Mars yet, we don't have exact numbers on how fast it's possible to go – because remember, you need to slow down as you get closer to Mars. The best estimates are that human missions to Mars will be timed to take advantage of a good planetary alignment. Most estimates put the travel time in the range of 150-300 days – that's five to 10 months – and the average is usually around seven months , just like the Perseverance rover.

The two fastest travel times from Earth to Mars are for the Viking 6 and Viking 7 spacecraft, which took 155 and 128 days respectively . Both of these spacecraft were on flyby missions to image Mars, so they didn't need to slow down as they approached Mars as orbiters, landers and rovers need to do.

Frequently Answered Questions

Why can we only go to mars every 2 years.

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Want to travel to Mars? Here’s how long the trip could take.

Nuclear engines or not, you're gonna need a lot of PTO to get to the Red Planet.

By Eva Botkin-Kowacki | Published Feb 21, 2023 6:00 AM EST

Despite what Star Trek’s warp-speed journeys would have us believe, interplanetary travel is quite the hike. Take getting to Mars. Probes sent to the Red Planet by NASA and other space agencies spend about seven months in space before they arrive at their destination. A trip for humans would probably be longer—likely on the timescale of a few years. 

There are a lot of things that a human crew needs to survive that robots don’t, such as food, water, oxygen, and enough supplies for a return—the weight of which can slow down a spacecraft. With current technology, NASA calculations estimate a crewed mission to Mars and back, plus time on the surface , could take somewhere between two and three years. “Three years we know for sure is feasible,” says Michelle Rucker, who leads NASA’s Mars Architecture Team in the agency’s ​​ Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate .

But NASA aims to shorten that timeline, in part because it would make a Mars mission safer for humans—we still don’t know how well the human body can withstand the environment of space for an extended period. (The record for most consecutive days in space is 437.) The agency is investing in projects to develop new propulsion technologies that might enable more expeditious space travel. 

A crooked path to Mars

In a science-fictional world, a spacecraft would blast off Earth and head directly to Mars. That trajectory would certainly make for a speedier trip. But real space travel is a lot more complicated than going from point A to point B.

“If you had all the thrust you want, you could ignore the fact that there happens to be gravity in our universe and just plow all the way through the solar system,” says Mason Peck , a professor of astronautics at Cornell University who served as NASA’s chief technologist from 2011 to 2013. “But that’s not a scenario that’s possible right now.”

Such a direct trajectory has several challenges. As a spacecraft lifts off Earth, it needs to escape the planet’s gravitational pull, which requires quite a bit of thrust. Then, in space, the force of gravity from Earth, Mars, and the sun pulls the spacecraft in different directions. When it is far enough away, it will settle into orbit around the sun. Bucking that gravity requires fuel-intensive maneuvers.

[Related: Signs of past chemical reactions detected on Mars ]

The second challenge is that the planets do not stay in a fixed place. They orbit the sun, each at its own rate: Mars will not be at the same distance from Earth when the spacecraft launches as the Red Planet will be, say, seven months later. 

As such, the most fuel-efficient route to Mars follows an elliptical orbit around the sun, Peck says. Just one-way, that route covers hundreds of millions of miles and takes over half a year, at best. 

But designing a crewed mission to the Red Planet isn’t just about figuring out how fast a spacecraft can get there and back. It’s about “balance,” says Patrick Chai, in-space propulsion lead for NASA’s Mars Architecture Team . “There are a whole bunch of decisions we have to make in terms of how we optimize for certain things. Where do we trade performance for time?” Chai says. “If you just look at one single metric, you can end up making decisions that are really great for that particular metric, but can be problematic in other areas.”

One major trade-off for speed has to do with how much stuff is on board. With current technology, every maneuver to shorten the trip to Mars requires more fuel. 

If you drive a car, you know that in order to accelerate the vehicle, you step on the gas. The same is true in a spacecraft, except that braking and turning also use fuel. To slow down, for instance, a spacecraft fires its thrusters in the opposite direction to its forward motion.

But there are no gas stations in space. More fuel means more mass on board. And more mass requires more fuel to propel that extra mass through the air… and so on. Trimming a round-trip mission down to two years is when this trade-off starts to become exponentially less efficient, Rucker says. At least, that’s with current technology.

New tech to speed up the trip

NASA would like to be able to significantly reduce that timeline. In 2018, the space agency requested proposals for technological systems that could enable small, uncrewed missions to fly from Earth to Mars in 45 days or less . 

At the time, the proposals didn’t gain much traction. But the challenge inspired engineers to design innovative propulsion systems that don’t yet exist. And now, NASA has begun to fund the development of leading contenders. In particular, the space agency has its eye on nuclear propulsion.

Spacecraft currently rely largely on chemical propulsion. “You basically take an oxidizer and a fuel, combine them, and they combust, and that generates heat. You accelerate that heated product through a nozzle to generate thrust,” explains NASA’s Chai. 

Engineers have known for decades that a nuclear-based system could generate more thrust using a significantly smaller amount of fuel than a chemical rocket. They just haven’t built one yet—though that might be about to change.

One of NASA’s nuclear investment projects aims to integrate a nuclear thermal engine into an experimental spacecraft. The Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations , or DRACO, program, is a collaboration with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and aims to demonstrate the resulting technology as soon as 2027 .

[Related: Microbes could help us make rocket fuel on Mars ]

The speediest trip to Mars might come from another project, however. This concept, the brainchild of researchers at the University of Florida and supported by a NASA grant, seeks to achieve what Chai calls the “holy grail” of nuclear propulsion: a combination system that pairs nuclear thermal propulsion with an electric kind. 

“We did some preliminary analysis, and it seems like we can get pretty close to [45 days],” says the leader of that project, Ryan Gosse, a professor of practice in the University of Florida’s in-house applied research program, Florida Applied Research in Engineering (FLARE). One caveat: That timeline is for a light payload and no humans on board. However, if the project is successful, the technology could potentially be scaled up in the future to support a crewed mission.

There are two types of nuclear propulsion, and both have their merits. Nuclear thermal propulsion, which uses heat, can generate a lot of thrust quickly from a small amount of fuel. Nuclear electric propulsion, which uses charged particles, is even more fuel-efficient but generates thrust much more slowly.

“While you’re in deep space, the electric propulsion is really great because you have all the time in the world to thrust. The efficiency, the miles per gallon, is far, far superior than the high-thrust,” Chai says. “But when you’re around planets, you want that oomph to get you out of the gravity well.”

The challenge, however, is that both technologies currently require different types of nuclear reactors, says Gosse. And that means two separate systems, which reduces the efficiency of having a nuclear propulsion system. So Gosse and his team are working to develop technology that can use the one system to generate both types of propulsion.

NASA’s Mars architecture team is also working with a bimodal concept that uses a chemical propulsion system to maneuver around planets and solar-powered electric propulsion to do the thrusting in deep space.

“What we are developing is different tools for the toolbox,” says NASA’s Rucker. “One tool isn’t going to be enough to do all of the exploration that we want to do. So we’re working on all of these.”

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• Mission Timeline › Cruise

The cruise phase begins after the spacecraft separates from the rocket, soon after launch. The spacecraft departs Earth at a speed of about 24,600 mph (about 39,600 kph). The trip to Mars will take about seven months and about 300 million miles (480 million kilometers). During that journey, engineers have several opportunities to adjust the spacecraft’s flight path, to make sure its speed and direction are best for arrival at Jezero Crater on Mars. The first tweak to the spacecraft’s flight path happens about 15 days after launch.

Track the Spacecraft's Flight

The trip to mars.

• Checking spacecraft health and maintenance
• Monitoring and calibrating the spacecraft and its onboard subsystems and instruments
• Performing attitude correction turns (slight spins to keep the antenna pointed toward Earth for communications, and to keep the solar panels pointed toward the Sun for power)
• Conducting navigation activities, such as trajectory correction maneuvers, to determine and correct the flight path and train navigators before atmospheric entry. The last three correction maneuvers are scheduled during approach.
• Preparing for entry, descent, and landing (EDL) and surface operations , a process which includes tests of communications, including the communications to be used during EDL.

The mission is timed for launch when Earth and Mars are in good positions relative to each other for landing on Mars. That is, it takes less power to travel to Mars at this time, compared to other times when Earth and Mars are in different positions in their orbits. As Earth and Mars orbit the Sun at different speeds and distances, once about every 26 months, they are aligned in a way that allows the most energy-efficient trip to Mars.

Fine-Tuning the Flight Path to Mars

This site is maintained by the Mars Communications Team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Science Mission Directorate

Mars Communications Manager : Claire Powell

NASA Official : Debra Hernandez

Site Manager : Melody Ho

Editor : Jane Platt

CL# : 19-6952

The Nine Planets

How long does it take to get to Mars?

Mars is the most populated planet when it comes to robots. The famous Red Planet is located on average at around 1.5 AU or 228 million km / 142 million mi away from the Sun . At its farthest point, Mars is located at 1.6 AU away from the Sun, while its closest point, perihelion, is at 1.38 AU away. 1 AU – astronomical unit – is the equivalent of 150 million km / 93 million mi, and the Sun is 1 AU away from Earth.

(If you want to calculate how long it takes to get to stars, planets, and galaxies, try our space travel calculator)

Traveling At the Speed of Light Towards Mars

Traveling On One Of the Fastest Spacecraft Towards Mars

How Long Did It Take Other Spacecraft To Reach Mars?

The journey towards the Red Planet takes quite a bit of time, no matter how you look at it. But how long did it take for other probes or spacecraft to reach Mars? Here is a little list:

• Mars Science Laboratory – Launched in 2011 – 254 days
• Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter – 2005 – 210 days
• Mars Express Orbiter – 2003 – 201 days
• Mars Pathfinder – 1996 – 212 days
• Mars Global Surveyor – 1996 – 308 days
• Viking 2 – 1975 – 333 days
• Viking 1 – 1975 – 304 days
• Mariner 9 – 1971 – 168 days
• Mariner 7 – 1969 – 128 days
• Mariner 6 – 1969 – 155 days
• Mariner 4 – 1965 – 228 days

How Long Will It Take SpaceX To Get To Mars?

Who Is Going to Mars in 2020 and 2023?

Can You Breathe on Mars?

Unfortunately, Mars’s atmosphere is made up of around 95% carbon dioxide. This means that you couldn’t breathe on the Red Planet, and you would almost instantly die of hypoxia. Apart from this, Mars is really a cold place with average surface temperatures reaching 21 degrees Celsius; however, in the night, temperatures drop to -62 degrees Celsius. The Martian dust is also dangerous to humans, as it is toxic, finely grained, and abrasive, which is terrible for our lungs if we were exposed to it.

The last thing to worry about would be radiation. Mars is full of it since its atmosphere, and lack of a global magnetic field means that the planet is showered by radiation through high-energy cosmic rays and solar particles. Astronomers will have to face all of these things if they ever get to Mars, but with our current technology, some of these problems might be easily solved. It remains to be seen what other new technologies we will have in the near future that would increase our chances of colonizing Mars.

Did you know?

• The first spacecraft to orbit around Mars, was NASA’S Mariner 9 probe. It was sent to Mars in 1971, and it reached the Red Planet in just 168 days.
• The first U.S. spacecraft to land on Mars was Viking 1. This occurred in 1975. 
• The first spacecraft to go to Mars was NASA’s Mariner 4. This happened in 1965, and it arrived at its destination in just 228 days.
• Mars has two moons, namely Phobos and Deimos, but they are very small, both of them put together would still be smaller than our Moon.
• Perseverance is headed towards Mars. The European Space Agency is preparing to send their own first rover to the Red Planet as well. The rover is named Rosalind Franklin, after the British DNA pioneer.
• China is also planning to send a spacecraft to Mars – both a rover and orbiter. The United Arab Emirates has plans to send an orbiter to Mars in 2020 as well, but the current COVID crisis might hinder this.
• Mars has only 11% of our Earth’s mass. It is the second-smallest planet in the Solar System , having a diameter of only 6.779 km / 4.212 mi (30% bigger than Mercury ), and a radius of 3.389 km / 2.105 mi.
• It would take around 7 million Mars-sized planets to fill the Sun.

Image Sources:

• https://www.vaisala.com/sites/default/files/styles/16_9_liftup_extra_large/public/images/LIFT-Mars%20the%20Red%20Planet-1600×900.jpg?itok=YXq-Cv1K
• https://advancedtech.airliquide.com/sites/abt_at/files/styles/800×625/public/2016/12/06/mars-short-read-overlay1.jpg?itok=tZPadBNH
• https://images.theconversation.com/files/88105/original/image-20150710-17473-idj453.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=926&fit=clip
• https://i.insider.com/59dd480492406c2c768b4d7a?width=1136&format=jpeg
• https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/mars2020/20200727/PIA23491-16.jpg
• https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2019-02/processed/MarsOneBankrupt2019_1024.jpg
• https://planetary-science.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/6a00d8341bf7f753ef01b7c705f443970b-800wi.jpg

Universe Today

Space and astronomy news

How Long Does it Take to Get to Mars?

This article originally appeared in Universe Today in July, 2012, but it’s been updated with a related video.

The planet Mars is one of the brightest objects in the night sky, easily visible with the unaided eye as a bright red star. Every two years or so, Mars and Earth reach their closest point, called “opposition”, when Mars can be as close as 55,000,000 km from Earth. And every two years, space agencies take advantage of this orbital alignment to send spacecraft to the Red Planet. How long does it take to get to Mars?

The total journey time from Earth to Mars takes between 150-300 days depending on the speed of the launch, the alignment of Earth and Mars, and the length of the journey the spacecraft takes to reach its target. It really just depends on how much fuel you’re willing to burn to get there. More fuel, shorter travel time.

History of Going to Mars:

The first spacecraft ever to make the journey from Earth to Mars was NASA’s Mariner 4, which launched on November 28, 1964 and arrived at Mars July 14, 1965, successfully taking a series of 21 photographs. Mariner 4’s total flight time was 228 days.

The next successful mission to Mars was Mariner 6, which blasted off on February 25, 1969 and reached the planet on July 31, 1969; a flight time of only 156 days. The successful Mariner 7 only required 131 days to make the journey.

Mariner 9, the first spacecraft to successfully go into orbit around Mars launched on May 30, 1971, and arrived November 13, 1971 for a duration of 167 days. This is the same pattern that has held up for more almost 50 years of Mars exploration: approximately 150-300 days.

Here are some more examples:

• Viking 1 (1976) – 335 days
• Viking 2 (1976) – 360 days
• Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2006) – 210 days
• Phoenix Lander (2008) – 295 days
• Curiosity Lander (2012) – 253 days

Why Does it Take So Long?:

When you consider the fact that Mars is only 55 million km away, and the spacecraft are travelling in excess of 20,000 km/hour, you would expect the spacecraft to make the journey in about 115 days, but it takes much longer. This is because both Earth and Mars are orbiting around the Sun. You can’t point directly at Mars and start firing your rockets, because by the time you got there, Mars would have already moved. Instead, spacecraft launched from Earth need to be pointed at where Mars is going to be .

The other constraint is fuel. Again, if you had an unlimited amount of fuel, you’d point your spacecraft at Mars, fire your rockets to the halfway point of the journey, then turn around and decelerate for the last half of the journey. You could cut your travel time down to a fraction of the current rate – but you would need an impossible amount of fuel.

How to Get to Mars with the Least Amount of Fuel:

The primary concern of engineers is how to get a spacecraft to Mars, on the least amount of fuel. Robots don’t really care about the hostile environment of space, so it makes sense to decrease the launch costs of the rocket as much as possible.

NASA engineers use a method of travel called a Hohmann Transfer Orbit – or a Minimum Energy Transfer Orbit – to send a spacecraft from Earth to Mars with the least amount of fuel possible. The technique was first proposed by Walter Hohmann who published the first description of the maneuver in 1925.

Instead of pointing your rocket directly at Mars, you boost the orbit of your spacecraft so that it’s following a larger orbit around the Sun than the Earth. Eventually that orbit will intersect the orbit of Mars – at the exact moment that Mars is there too .

If you need to launch with less fuel, you just take longer to raise your orbit, and increase the journey to Mars.

Other Ideas to Decrease the Travel Time to Mars:

Although it requires some patience to wait for a spacecraft to travel 250 days to reach Mars, we might want a completely different propulsion method if we’re sending humans. Space is a hostile place, and the radiation of interplanetary space might pose a longterm health risk to human astronauts. The background cosmic rays inflict a constant barrage of cancer-inducing radiation, but there’s a bigger risk of massive solar storms, which could kill unprotected astronauts in a few hours. If you can decrease the travel time, you reduce the amount of time astronauts are getting pelted with radiation, and minimize the amount of supplies they need to carry for a return journey.

Go Nuclear: One idea is nuclear rockets , which heat up a working fluid – like hydrogen – to intense temperatures in a nuclear reactor, and then blast it out a rocket nozzle at high velocities to create thrust. Because nuclear fuels are far more energy dense than chemical rockets, you could get a higher thrust velocity with less fuel. It’s proposed that a nuclear rocket could decrease the travel time down to about 7 months

Go Magnetic: Another proposal is a technology called the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (or VASIMR). This is an electromagnetic thruster which uses radio waves to ionize and heat a propellant. This creates an ionized gas called plasma which can be magnetically thrust out the back of the spacecraft at high velocities. Former astronaut Franklin Chang-Diaz is pioneering the development of this technology, and a prototype is expected to be installed on the International Space Station to help it maintain its altitude above Earth. In a mission to Mars, a VASIMR rocket could reduce the travel time down to 5 months.

Go Antimatter: Perhaps one of the most extreme proposals would be to use an antimatter rocket . Created in particle accelerators, antimatter is the most dense fuel you could possibly use. When atoms of matter meet atoms of antimatter, they transform into pure energy, as predicted by Albert Einstein’s famous equation: E = mc 2 . Just 10 milligrams of antimatter would be needed to propel a human mission to Mars in only 45 days. But then, producing even that minuscule amount of antimatter would cost about $250 million.

Future Missions to Mars:

Even though some incredible technologies have been proposed to shorten the travel time to Mars, engineers will be using the tried and true methods of following minimum energy transfer orbits using chemical rockets. NASA’s MAVEN mission will launch in 2013 using this technique, as well ESA’s ExoMars missions. It might be a few decades before other methods become common techniques.

Research further: Information about Interplanetary Orbits – NASA 7 Minutes of Terror – The Challenge of Landing at Mars NASA Proposal for a nuclear rocket engine Hohmann Transfer Orbits – Iowa State University Minimum Transfers and Interplanetary Orbits New and Improved Antimatter Space Ship for Mars Missions – NASA Astronomy Cast Episode 84: Getting Around the Solar System

Related Stories from Universe Today: Travel to Mars in Only 39 Days A One Way, One Person Mission to Mars Could a Human Mission to Mars be Funded Commercially? How Will MSL Navigate to Mars? Very Carefully A Cheap Solution to Getting to Mars? Why have so many missions to Mars failed?

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2 Replies to “How Long Does it Take to Get to Mars?”

WOW thats CRAZY:)

214 days of exposure to high levels of radiation – how would a crew be shielded?

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How long does it take to get to Mars, and how far is it? Nasa Perseverance rover’s landing mission explained

It took around seven months for nasa's perseverance rover to reach the red planet.

Nasa’s Perseverance rover has landed safely on Mars, starting a new mission to look for signs of ancient life.

The rover left Earth at the end of July last year, and after a tense few moments ahead of landing, it confirmed its successful arrival.

But just how far away is Mars and how long does it take it get there?

How far away is Mars?

The distance between Earth and Mars is not always the same, as both planets are on constant orbits around the Sun.

The Nasa Perseverance travelled around 293 million miles (471 million kilometers) to get to Mars.

According to Nasa , the closest the two planets can theoretically be to each other is 33.9 million miles (54.6 million kilometers).

The closest recorded distance to Mars was in 2003 when Mars was recorded as 34.8 million miles (56 million km) – but the next time they are expected to come this close is the year 2287.

The last Mars “close approach” was in October 2020, when Mars was 38.6 million miles (62.07 million kilometers) from Earth.

Close approaches, which happen around every 26 months, are a good time to plan missions to Mars, Nasa said, as Earth and Mars are closest together on their orbits.

The furthest the two planets can be from each other is around 250 million miles (401 million km) apart.

How long does it take to get to Mars?

The time it takes to get to Mars varies, as of course, it’s not a staightforward journey.

It took the Perseverance around 7 months to get to Mars.

Past missions to Mars, including flybys, have varied in time, taking between 128 days and around 330 days to make the journey.

According to Space.com , travelling at the speed of light, (186,282 miles per second/299,792 km per second) it would take a minimum of just over three minutes to reach Mars.

On average, a light shined on to the red planet’s surface would take around 12 and a half minutes to reach it’s destination.

How did the Nasa Perserverance rover landed on the red planet?

Nasa’s Mars Perseverance rover launched on July 30, 2020, from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida in the US.

It travelled for around seven months before landing safely on the surface of the red planet on February 18, 2021 just before 9pm (GMT).

Confirmation of the safe landing took more than 11 minutes to reach Earth and was met by jubilation from Nasa scientists, after a few tense minutes.

I’m safe on Mars. Perseverance will get you anywhere. #CountdownToMars — NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) February 18, 2021

Steve Jurczyk, Nasa’s acting administrator, said: “It’s amazing to have Perseverance join Curiosity on Mars and what a credit to the team.

“Just what an amazing team to work through all the adversity and all the challenges that go with landing a rover on Mars, plus the challenges of Covid.

“And just an amazing accomplishment.”

The rover has since sent back pictures of the planet’s rocky surface, and more footage is expected from the robot soon.

The mission’s goal is to search for signs of ancient life and collect samples for a future return to Earth from diverse environments on Mars.

Perseverance will gather rock and soil samples using its drill, and will store the sample cores in tubes on the Martian surface ready for a return mission to bring around 30 samples to Earth in the early 2030s.

It will also include testing out new technologies and try out the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter.

Additional reporting by PA.

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• How Long Would It Take To Travel To Mars?

Humanity has dreamed of travelling to Mars for decades. As of yet, the only place humans have set foot on (other than Earth) is the moon . The moon presented humanity with one of its greatest challenges, yet in 1969, NASA overcame the challenge when the astronauts of Apollo 11 set foot on the lunar surface. Ever since the Apollo Program ended, NASA has slowly been developing the technology required to send humans to Mars. One of the primary purposes of the International Space Station has been to study the long term effects of space travel on the human body. In order for humans to eventually travel to Mars, they will need to survive in space for extended periods of time, yet just how long would it take to travel to Mars?

Distance To Mars

Mars is the second closest planet to Earth after Venus , yet it is still very far away. On average, the distance between Mars and Earth is about 140 million miles (225 million kilometres). To traverse that distance would likely take several months to years depending on how fast of a rocket you have. However, the distance between Mars and Earth actually changes. Both Mars and Earth orbit the sun in ellipses, meaning the  distance between them and the sun changes during their orbits. When the Earth is at furthest point from the sun and Mars is at its closest approach, the two planets are at their closest distance. When Mars and Earth happen to align in just the right way, the distance between them can be 34 million miles (54.6 million kilometres). That is significantly lower than the average distance between the two planets, and so it would make sense to send humans to Mars when the two planets are at their closest approach to each other. Unfortunately, this alignment does not happen often. The closest distance between Earth and Mars ever recorded was in 2003, when the two planets came within 35 million miles (56 million kilometres) of each other. An event such as this will only occur every couple hundred years, with the next closest approach predicted to happen in the year 2237. 

Mars and Earth rarely lineup so that the distance between them is at its minimum, but astronomers still take advantage of the fact that, at some points in their orbits, Mars and Earth are much closer together than on average. Every 26 months, Mars and Earth line up in such a way that it is most efficient to send spacecraft to the Red Planet. This means that there is one launch window to Mars every 26 months. 

Speed Of A Rocket

The distance to Mars itself is not the only factor that will determine how long it takes to travel to Mars. The speed at which a spacecraft moves will also determine the length of the trip. Past missions to Mars have generally taken anywhere from 128 days to nearly one full year. With current technology and rocket designs, NASA estimates that the first rockets carrying humans to Mars will achieve speeds of about 24,600 miles per hour (39,600 kilometres per hour). Moving at these speeds, it would take approximately seven months to reach the surface of Mars.

What If You Went Faster?

Assuming the technology is advanced enough, how quickly could you reach Mars? Currently, the fastest human-made object is the Parker Solar Probe, which has achieved speeds of 364,660 miles per hour (586,860 kilometers kilometres per hour). Moving at this speed, it would take about two weeks to reach Mars while it’s at its average distance from Earth. Travelling to Mars within only two weeks would be astonishing, yet unfortunately it would not be possible with current technology. The Parker Solar Probe has been able to attain such extreme speeds by slingshotting itself around the sun multiple times. In the far future, if humanity ever develops the technology to travel near the speed of light , we could travel to Mars in less than five minutes. For now, the first astronauts to travel to Mars will have to wait several months in space before arriving at the Red Planet. 

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How long does it take to get to Mars?

Last Updated: December 13, 2022

If you’ve ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what it would be like to visit Mars, you’re not alone. Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, has long been the subject of human curiosity and exploration.

For centuries, humans have been fascinated by the red planet, and with recent advances in space technology, the dream of traveling to Mars is closer than ever. But just how long does it take to get there?

The answer, of course, is not a simple one. There are many factors that can affect the duration of a journey to Mars, including the trajectory of the spacecraft, the speed of the spacecraft, and the position of Mars in its orbit around the Sun.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at these factors and provide some examples of past and future missions to Mars to give you a sense of the range of possible travel times.

Going to Mars, Facts to Consider

Mars, the Earth, and all the others planets are constantly revolving around the Sun. This means that their position is always different. For example, Earth moves around the Sun at a speed of 18 miles / 30 kilometers per second.

When we look at Mars, it moves with a speed of 14.3 miles / 23.3 kilometers per second around the Sun. Before starting a trip to mars, astronomers have to calculate the best position to launch a spacecraft toward it. 

This means that they need to estimate at what point in time will the Red Giant be and in what direction the spacecraft will be launched. You also have to consider that you can’t launch a spacecraft at any point in time to reach Mars at an exact timeframe. You have to consider the position of both planets beforehand. 

Take this into consideration. Mars is at an average distance of 140 million miles / 225 million kilometers away from Earth. In 2003, our planets reached their closest point (perihelion) at a distance of only 33.9 million mi / 54.6 million km. However, this approach doesn’t happen every month. It occurs every two years or so. The aphelion or farthest distance between Mars and Earth is at 250 million mi / 401 million km.

Related reading: How Far Away is Mars From Earth Right Now?

You can imagine all the different necessary calculations and estimations that astronomers must go through when preparing for a trip to Mars. Not to mention that you also need to take into account that if you reach Mars, you will also need to stay for several months there until the planets are in the perfect position to maximize your fuel efficiency. 

Some predictions for a human-crewed mission to Mars and back to Earth are situated at the 21-month mark. But it may take more or less depending on the technology involved. You also need to consider all the possible delays or unexpected issues.

The Necessary Speed to Reach Mars

The Apollo 11 mission to the Moon reached an incredible top speed of 25,000 mph to reach the Moon in four days. If you were to go to Mars with the same technology, you would reach it in two and a half months. Yet, you must consider that maintaining this speed for so long is impossible. Not to mention the amount of fuel you would need, which implies a more massive spacecraft to store it, and since the spacecraft size will be different, other factors will affect your speed and fuel consumption.

Currently, the fastest spacecraft we have is NASA’s Parker Solar Probe . In 2021, the Parker Solar Probe reached a top speed of 364,621 mph / 586,000 kph. This is 14.5 times faster than the Apollo 11 spacecraft’s top speed.

If the Parker Solar Probe would be sent to Mars, it may reach it in 16 days. If we were to imagine a straight line between the probe and the Red Planet, and if the probe would be launched at the closest encounter between our two planets, it may reach it in 93 hours or so. However, this isn’t the case when it comes to space travel. Not to mention the issue mentioned earlier, the fact that planets aren’t static, and thus there is no constant distance. 

Astronomers have to predict where a planet will be once they launch a spacecraft. How long it takes to get to Mars depends mostly on where the Red Giant and our planet are situated, when the spacecraft is launched, and what propulsion systems are used. 

According to NASA , a mission to Mars would take around nine months if you begin your trip when the planets are properly lined up. The perfect window to get to Mars from Earth occurs once every 26 months. If we develop better ways to burn up fuel, we could reach Mars even faster, but our current technology is still very limiting.

Related Article: How Much of Space Have We Explored So Far?

Flight time of past missions to Mars

In the history of space exploration, there have been many missions to Mars, some successful and others not. As I mentioned in the intro, Mars has been the subject of interest for scientists for a long time. Especially when it comes to the prospect of finding signs of life on another planet.

Regardless of their different goals, the one thing that all of these missions have in common is that they all took a significant amount of time to reach the red planet. In this section, we’ll take a closer look at the flight times of some of the past missions to Mars and see how they compare to each other.

• Mariner 4 (1964) had a flight time of 228 days.
• Mariner 6 (1969) got to the red planet in 156 days.
• Mariner 7 (1969) got to Mars in 128 days.
• Mariner 9 (1971) reached the red planet in 167 days.
• Viking 1 (1976) took on an 11-month cruise to Mars.
• Viking 2 (1976) had a flight time of 360 days.
• Mars Odyssey (2001) reached the dusty planet in about 200 days.
• Mars Express (2003) completed its journey in around 6 months.
• Opportunity Rover (2003) landed on Marse after 201 days spent in space.
• Spirit (2003) touched down in Gusev crater after traveling for 179 days.
• Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2005) took 210 days to reach its destination.
• Phoenix (2007) completed its travel to Mars in  295 days
• Curiosity (2011) touched down on the martian surface after a trip lasting 253 days.
• MAVEN (2013) entered the martian orbit after a 10-month trip.
• Insight (2018) reached Mars in 206 days.
• Perseverance, the latest rover to make it to Marse, did the trip Earth-Mars in 204 days.

Future Missions to Mars

Technology always evolves, and astronomers are always looking for new ways to conduct space missions and shorten their flights. NASA already works on something new that may help Mars missions. 

The Space Launch System (SLS) is under construction and will conduct various tests that will help upcoming Missions to Mars, perhaps even manned missions. One of the first SLS rockets being designed for future Mars and Moon missions is the Artemis 1.

Artemis 1 just recently completed a near-flawless mission to the Moon and broke Apollo 13’s flight distance record. It is currently the most powerful rocket ever built. The future Artemis missions to the Moon will help establish new technologies and strategies to reach Mars. 

With our current technology, we need more field tests in order to be sure of what is to come. However, the successful mission of Artemis 1 proves once again that mankind’s determination is unyielding. Through Artemis 2 , we might have a new crew land on the Moon as soon as 2024 or 2025. Any successful mission on the Moon brings us closer to planetary missions, and the good news is that nowadays there are more space companies willing to do the job than ever before!

Reaching Mars at the Speed of Light

If you were to go to Mars using the speed of light , you would reach it in about three minutes at their closest possible approach. The speed of light is around 186,000 mi / 300,000 km per second. Reaching the speed of light is a goal for any interplanetary mission. However, it is unknown if humans can travel at such speed without consequences or if it is possible to reach this speed at all.

Between the first moon landing and the commercialization of spaceships are only 50 years of rapid development. The impending collaborations of multinational associations like NASA, Roscosmos, CSA, and private companies are set to be game changers for humanity. The upcoming decade promises entirely new opportunities, from Moon settlements and out-worldly discoveries to breathtaking experiences accessible for tourists and businessmen alike. 

Written by Hrenciuc Daniel

Hello, my name is Daniel and I am a space enthusiast. I love everything related to space and SCFI, and although I like both Star Wars and Star Trek, I believe we will find something entirely different out there. I am an astronomy writer with a passion for both history and mythology. Each star has its tale. Let me tell you their story!

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The Journey to Mars: How Long Will It Take?

As humanity’s curiosity about the universe continues to grow, so does our desire to reach further into the depths of space. This desire is epitomized by our interest in Mars, our planetary neighbor and the most viable candidate for future human colonization. The journey to Mars, however, is not as straightforward as it seems. Factors such as varying distances between Earth and Mars, technological limitations, and human wellbeing considerations all play significant roles in dictating how long such a journey would take. From understanding the technology and mechanics of space travel, evaluating our current capabilities, exploring future innovations, to considering the implications of long duration space travel on humans, the prospect of a journey to Mars presents a fascinating and complex challenge.

Understanding Space Travel

Understanding space travel: the basics.

Space travel, particularly interplanetary travel, is a complex and time-consuming process. Unlike driving a car on a highway where the distance between two points is fixed, the distance between Earth and Mars is not constant; it changes as both planets orbit around the Sun. On average, Mars is about 140 million miles away from Earth. However, this distance can be as short as 34 million miles when the two planets align favourably, an event known as “opposition” that occurs about every two years.

Space Technology: The Tools of the Trade

To reach Mars, spacecraft employ advanced technology and harness the laws of physics for their journey. One such technique is the Hohmann Transfer Orbit, a path that when timed correctly, allows spacecraft to travel the least distance to Mars using the least amount of fuel possible. The spacecraft we send to Mars must be capable of immense speeds to successfully make the journey. Speeds usually range between 50,000 to 100,000 kilometers per hour. These speeds are achieved through propulsion systems like rocket thrusters, which provide the force necessary to push the craft through space.

Driving to Mars: The Estimations

How long it would take to get to Mars depends on a number of variables, such as the specific timing of the launch, the speed of the spacecraft, and the relative positioning of Earth and Mars within their orbits at the time of the journey. Using current technology, it takes roughly six to nine months to travel to Mars. NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory, which carried the Curiosity Rover, took about 8.5 months to make the journey. Other missions, like the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, took closer to nine months. SpaceX’s Starship, currently under development, aims to make the trip in as little as six months.

Why the Fluctuating Distance Matters

The variable distance between Earth and Mars matters significantly because it affects the amount of fuel and the time it takes to travel. Launching when Earth and Mars are at opposition, or their closest approach, allows a spacecraft to capitalize on the least amount of distance needed to travel. Usually, mission planners design spacecraft trajectories that launch a few months before an opposition event, ensuring the spacecraft arrives at Mars during opposition.

Future of Mars Exploration

Mars remains a key focus in space exploration, and as scientists and engineers innovate and technology advances, it’s likely that Mars mission durations could potentially decrease. NASA’s future Artemis and SpaceX’s Starship missions aim to not only travel to Mars more quickly but to also establish a human presence there. Mars’s close proximity and its similarities to Earth make it a prime target for further study and potential colonization.

Concludingly, the journey to Mars, using our current technological capabilities, is a rather extensive process, requiring approximately six to nine months of travel. This duration, however, is subject to many scientific and technological aspects that contribute to these calculations. As we continue to advance in these fields, we predict that the journey to Mars may become increasingly efficient.

Current Methods of Space Travel

Methods utilized in modern martian travel.

How long the trip to Mars takes is primarily dependent on the means of space travel. NASA currently leads in this domain, boasting eight successful Mars landers to their name. Their standard journey to Mars is characterized by a six-month expedition by leveraging the close alignment of Earth and Mars that occurs once approximately every two years. Utilizing this alignment allows their crafts to journey along a path known as the Hohmann transfer orbit, thus saving valuable fuel.

SpaceX is another formidable presence in this Martian venture. Elon Musk, the visionary CEO, has unveiled ambitions about the Mars Colonial Transporter project, also referred to as the Starship. He is optimistic that future technological advancements could reduce the travel duration to Mars down to four months. Musk has even predicted a 30-day journey to Mars, but this forecast is riddled with considerable technical and financial challenges yet to be surmounted.

The Process of reaching Mars

The journey to Mars consists of three main stages. The initial phase involves the spacecraft’s launch into space, which typically uses a large amount of fuel to overcome Earth’s gravitational pull. This journey from Earth to Mars will then be followed by a cruise stage where the spacecraft coasts through space, making minor adjustments along the way to ensure that it stays on the correct trajectory.

The final phase of a Mars mission is entering the Martian atmosphere and landing on the planet’s surface. This is arguably the trickiest part of the mission because Mars’s thin atmosphere makes it challenging to slow down a fast-moving spacecraft. Many missions have failed during this phase, often due to complications related to avoiding overheating or achieving a safe landing speed.

Notably, the new Perseverance rover that landed in February 2021 used an innovative sky-crane method rather than traditional airbags for landing. It involved the rover being lowered to the surface on a tether from a hovering platform, a method that enabled it to land with precision in a small targeted area.

Understanding the Duration of a Journey to Mars: Present Technology

The current level of technology utilized by NASA allows for a six to nine-month journey to Mars. This duration is achieved by harnessing the shortest possible distance between Earth and Mars, which only becomes feasible for a limited duration once every 26 months. This, thereby, makes the timing of the journey highly critical to effectively benefit from this brief window of opportunity.

The narrow time frame is well-understood by mission planners who leverage it to strategically time their spacecraft’s launch. This maximizes fuel efficiency and minimizes travel time. A case in point is the Mars Insight mission by NASA, which launched in May 2018 and landed on the Martian surface precisely six months later, in late November.

Summing up, the existing methods and technology would see a round trip to Mars lasting about 18 months using a Hohmann transfer orbit. This includes a waiting period on Mars for the optimum alignment of Earth and Mars for the return journey. However, innovative ventures such as SpaceX are exploring ways to shorten this travel time even further. It’s also key to remember in space travel, timelines might seem extended, potentially spanning many years.

Future Methods and Innovations

Future techniques & innovations: a quicker journey to mars.

Given the growing interest in Mars as the next big frontier for human exploration, one vital question needs answering: How can future technologies make the journey to Mars faster and more efficient? With our current capabilities, we can reach Mars in approximately six to nine months. However, the future is poised with innovations that aim to enhance the efficiency and speed of these journeys which making them more viable for human travel.

One promising direction comes from NASA’s research into nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP)

NTP uses a nuclear reactor to heat a propellant, like hydrogen, to extreme temperatures before expelling the propellant out of a rocket nozzle to produce thrust. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate is currently funding several NTP projects for propulsion system designs that could reduce the travel time to Mars by approximately half. This means astronauts could arrive on the Red Planet within three to four months.

Another anticipated method to speed up space travel is the concept of ion propulsion

This involves firing out streams of electrically charged atoms or molecules (ions) from a spacecraft to propel it forward. NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has already used this technology for propulsion in low-thrust, high-efficiency missions, but the technology still requires further development before it can facilitate a swift journey to Mars.

Elon Musk and SpaceX have proposed a revolutionary plan to reach Mars using a spacecraft called Starship

It’s designed to be reusable, capable of carrying up to 100 passengers and it would be refueled in orbit around Earth. SpaceX estimates that under optimal conditions, Starship could do the journey in just over a month.

Upcoming Mars Missions

NASA’s plans going forward involve constant Mars exploration with several missions in various stages of development. One notable mission is the Mars Sample Return Mission, which aims to collect samples of Martian rock, soil, and atmosphere for analysis back on Earth. This mission, which will involve cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency, is slated for 2026. It’s hoped that these missions will provide valuable data that could inform and support future manned missions to Mars.

Feasibility and Timeframes: The Future is Closer Than We Think

Given the innovations and technological advancements currently being researched and developed, an era of faster travel to Mars seems on the horizon. However, the feasibility of these methods will depend on overcoming various challenges. These include creating sustainable life support systems for astronauts during long durations in space, protecting against the harmful effects of deep space radiation, and ensuring the safe re-entry and descent of spacecraft to the Martian surface.

Getting to Mars is not a simplistic task. It involves many factors such as enhancements in propulsion technology, improvements to spacecraft design, and strategic mission planning. The good news is that advancements have been promising. Upcoming missions are in the pipeline, experiments are continually being conducted, and technology is rapidly improving. This progress makes the idea of a manned Mars mission – potentially taking as little as one month – a tangible possibility.

Factors Influencing the Travel Time to Mars

Earth and mars orbital paths.

An essential factor in determining the travel time to Mars is the planets’ orbits around the Sun. Both Earth and Mars follow elliptical, or oval-shaped, paths rather than perfect circles. It takes Earth just over a year—365 days—to orbit once around the Sun, while Mars requires almost double that time—approximately 687 Earth days. Since both planets are on separate trajectories and move at different speeds, the distance between them varies incredibly. It fluctuates from a close point of around 34 million miles to a farthest point of up to 250 million miles.

Distance Variations

These distance variations are crucial. When Mars and Earth are closest together – at “opposition” every 26 months – that’s the ideal time to launch a spacecraft. To save time and fuel, space missions aim to coincide with this period. Otherwise, the journey could be considerably longer and require more resources. However, even at opposition, the journey is not immediate. Mariner 7, a NASA spacecraft, accomplished the shortest time from Earth to Mars so far, making its journey in 128 days back in 1969.

Spacecraft Speed

The speed of the spacecraft is another important factor. The faster the spacecraft can go, the less time the journey will take. However, there are practical limits to how fast a spacecraft can travel. The speed depends on the amount of fuel it carries and how much it can burn – known as “delta-v” – to change its speed and trajectory. Generally, unmanned spacecraft traveling to Mars reach speeds of about 100,000 kilometers per hour. At this speed, the shortest possible trip to Mars would take about 39 days.

Energy Requirements

The energy required to reach Mars is considerable. First, the spacecraft must escape Earth’s gravity. Then, it needs to adjust its trajectory to align with Mars’ orbit. Finally, it needs to slow down and safely land on Mars’ surface. Each of these stages requires significant amounts of energy. Most of this energy comes from the spacecraft’s propulsion system, but some can also come from the gravity of other planets or the Sun, used in “gravity assist” maneuvers.

Unpredictable Challenges

Unpredictable factors can also affect the journey to Mars. Space weather, like solar flares or cosmic radiation, can delay or reroute missions. Mechanical issues with the spacecraft could also become crucial mid-flight. Even dust storms on Mars, which can last for weeks or months, can affect the timeline of the mission.

Concluding Thoughts

The journey to Mars is not as straightforward as it seems due to a variety of factors that come into play. The time required to reach the Red Planet is influenced by aspects such as orbits, velocity, and the amount of fuel necessary for the journey. Yet, there may be unexpected hurdles or variations in these factors which can cause travel durations to vary significantly.

Implications of the Journey Duration for Human Mars Missions

Grasping the distance: the length of the mars voyage.

The adventure to Mars, regardless of whether it’s manned or robotic, relies heavily on the probe’s speed and the erratic distance between Earth and Mars, which can fluctuate extensively due to both planets’ elliptical orbits around the Sun. At the point of their closest approach, also known as opposition, Earth and Mars are about 33.9 million miles (54.6 million kilometers) away from each other. But when they find themselves at opposite sides of the Sun, their distance can stretch to as far away as 250 million miles (401 million kilometers).

In practical terms, the optimum time to launch missions to Mars is when Earth and Mars coincide at the point of opposition when the spacecraft has reached Mars. This alignment is also referred to as the Hohmann Transfer Orbit. In these conditions, the spacecraft is required to traverse roughly 300 million miles (480 million kilometers), a journey which could take around nine months given our current propulsion capabilities.

Maintaining Life Support and Supplies for Long-duration Space Travel

Crafting a journey for humans that lasts up to nine months, or potentially longer if any unforeseen complications arise, requires complex planning—just maintaining the vital life-support systems is a major challenge. These systems would have to consistently provide air, water, food, and other basic human survival requirements, and would also need the ability to recycle as much as possible to reduce the mass of supplies launched from Earth.

Fuel is another important resource needed for the journey. The spaceship must store enough propellant for course corrections and to enter and exit Mars’s orbit—not to mention the fuel required for the return journey. Therefore, having fuel efficient systems or concepts like fuel depots in space are being studied.

The logistics of carrying or creating these resources and supplies for the duration of the mission has prompted NASA and other space agencies to research and invest in technologies for in-situ resource utilization. Essentially, this would involve using materials found on Mars to produce water, air, fuel, and possibly even food.

Mental and Physiological Implications of Long-duration Mars Missions

A mission to Mars is not only a physical challenge but also a mental one. Prolonged periods of isolation and confinement could severely affect the crew’s mental health, escalating the risk of issues such as depression and anxiety. Also, because of the time delay in communication with Earth, astronauts need to prepare to be considerably self-sufficient.

Physiologically, long-term space travel can impact the human body in numerous ways, like muscle and bone mass loss and changes to eyesight. As such, the potential impacts on health due to reduced gravity or “weightlessness” and how to counteract them from a dietary, exercise, and medical perspective form another major research area.

Space Agencies’ Preparations for Mars Missions

Considering the numerous challenges, space agencies are prepping to ensure the success of future human trips to Mars. They are launching precursor missions to test technologies, learn more about the Martian environment and its potential hazards, and advance their understanding of living and working on another planet. NASA, for instance, is embarking on long-duration missions to the International Space Station (ISS), simulating Martian environments on Earth, and launching mighty Mars rovers to gather more data on the Red Planet.

In conclusion, the journey to Mars is a crucial next step in human space exploration, necessitating long-term planning and an immense technological boost. It will undoubtedly pose formidable challenges—both scientific and logistical—but as scientists and engineers continue to innovate and explore, future astronauts will progressively come closer to setting foot on the Martian soil.

Exploring the red planet and understanding its potential for sustaining human life is a monumental objective that requires careful planning, robust technologies, and a consideration for human biology and psychology. Advancements in space travel, while impressively innovative and efficient, still evokes discussion about the time it would actually take to get us to Mars. While this journey remains a formidable challenge, it symbolizes our unyielding human spirit of exploration and discovery. As we prepare to embark on this journey, driven by our inherent curiosity and thirst for discovery, the factors that determine the timeframe for such a voyage continue to inform the future of space travel, shedding light on our ability and potential to conquer new frontiers beyond our Earthly realm.

Earth to Mars Distance: How Long Does It Take To Get to Mars

Interplanetary travel, especially to Mars, has garnered significant interest from space agencies and innovators. NASA and Elon Musk have ambitious plans for Mars missions, despite the considerable journey duration.

While robotic probes take approximately seven months to reach Mars, human missions could extend to a few years, especially with the formidable challenge of space exploration.

Distance Between Earth and Mars

The time it takes to reach Mars depends on the constantly changing distance between the two planets . While Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second closest to Earth after Venus, their separation varies as they orbit the Sun.

The closest possible approach, theoretically, occurs when Mars is at its perihelion (closest point to the Sun), and Earth is at its aphelion (farthest point), bringing the planets about 33.9 million miles (54.6 million kilometers) apart. However, this alignment has never occurred in recorded history.

The closest documented approach transpired in 2003, with the planets being 34.8 million miles (56 million km) apart. Conversely, Earth and Mars are farthest from each other when they are on opposite sides of the sun, creating a distance of up to 250 million miles (401 million km). The average separation between Earth and Mars is approximately 140 million miles (225 million km).

READ ALSO: NASA Orion Spacecraft in Production Stage for Upcoming Artemis Moon Missions, In-Space Environment Simulation Performed

Uncrewed Trips to Mars From Earth

Mars orbits the Sun once every 687 Earth days, which leads to varying distances between Earth and Mars, with relatively close alignments approximately every 26 months. Due to the elliptical nature of their orbits, some close approaches are closer than others. For instance, on October 6, 2020, Mars was as close as 38.57 million miles (62.07 million kilometers) to Earth.

The duration of a journey to Mars  depends on the speed of the spacecraft. For example, the Perseverance rover, traveling at around 24,600 mph (39,600 kph), took seven months to reach Mars. However, this travel time was influenced by the positions of Earth and Mars at the launch and landing times.

If a spacecraft could match the speed of the New Horizons probe, which reached 36,000 mph (58,000 kph) during its mission to Pluto, it could potentially reach Mars in as little as 39 days, contingent on planetary alignment.

As humans have not journeyed to Mars yet, precise travel times remain uncertain. Estimates suggest that human missions will capitalize on favorable planetary alignments, with expected travel durations falling within the range of 150 to 300 days, typically around seven months, mirroring the Perseverance rover's journey.

How Long Will It Take for a Crewed Flight To Reach the Red Planet?

Unlike robots, human crews on a Mars mission require essential supplies like food, water, oxygen, and return provisions, which can significantly increase the spacecraft's weight and duration of the journey.

Presently, NASA's estimates suggest a round-trip crewed mission to Mars , including surface time, may last two to three years, with three years deemed feasible.

Check out more news and information on Mars Exploration  in Science Times.

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How Long Does it Take to get to Mars?

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The time it takes to get to Mars from Earth depends on a variety of factors including the planets’ positions in their orbits, the specific details of the mission’s trajectory, and the type of propulsion used.  The distance between Earth and Mars changes throughout the year as both planets have elliptical orbits and different orbital periods, with the closest approach, or opposition, occurring approximately every 26 months.  At opposition, Mars and the Sun are on directly opposite sides of Earth.

Hohmann Transfer Orbit

Traditionally, missions to Mars have used a Hohmann Transfer Orbit, which is the most energy-efficient way to travel between two orbiting bodies, but it is not the fastest.  Using this method, it typically takes approximately 9 months to travel to Mars. This is the method that has been used by most Mars rovers and orbiters.

Faster Transits

Advanced propulsion technologies and mission designs are in development that could potentially shorten travel time to Mars.  For example, using high-powered ion propulsion systems, nuclear thermal propulsion, or solar sails, could reduce travel time to a matter of months or even weeks.  However, these technologies are still largely in the experimental or developmental stage.

Recent Missions

• NASA’s Mars rovers, such as Curiosity, took about 9 months to travel from Earth to Mars.
• The UAE’s Hope Probe, launched in July 2020, reached Mars in February 2021, also taking around 7 months.

Human Missions

When considering manned missions, the challenges and travel times can be different, given the requirements for life support and the need to bring humans back to Earth. Various proposals and mission designs for human missions to Mars estimate travel times ranging from 6 to 9 months using current or near-future technologies.

Speed and Distance

The speed of the spacecraft also greatly affects the travel time, and the required speed depends on the chosen trajectory. he shortest distance between Earth and Mars (during opposition) is about 54.6 million kilometers, but spacecraft typically travel a much longer distance due to the need to follow a trajectory that requires the least amount of energy, typically an elliptical orbit.

Future Innovations

Space agencies and private companies are actively researching and developing new technologies and mission architectures to decrease travel time to Mars, reduce mission costs, and ensure the safety of astronauts during potential future manned missions to the Red Planet.

In conclusion, while the time to get to Mars has typically been around 9 months using conventional propulsion technologies and optimal transfer orbits, future innovations in space travel technology have the potential to significantly decrease the travel time for future robotic and human missions to Mars.

Check out our 3D Mars Learning Center for more information on Mars.   You can also learn more at:  NASA Mars Exploration.

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Problem Set

Let's go to mars calculating launch windows.

This activity is related to a Teachable Moment from Oct. 31, 2016. See " When Computers Were Human. "

› Explore more on the Teachable Moments Blog

This activity is designed for students familiar with advanced algebra concepts. In this lesson, students will:

• Use algebraic computations to determine the relative positions of Earth and Mars during which an optimal (low-energy) transfer of a spacecraft can occur.
• Combine this information with planetary-position data to determine the next launch opportunity to Mars.

Graph paper, quadrille ruled (one piece per student)

8.5-by-11-inch or larger piece of thick cardboard (per student)

Two push-pins (per student)

String, approximately 30 cm (per student)

Planetary heliocentric longitudes for appropriate years (search for “planetary heliocentric longitudes” along with the applicable years)

When a spacecraft is launched from Earth, its forward velocity combined with the gravitational pull of Earth cause it to travel in a curved path. As the spacecraft heads toward another planet, the gravitational pull of that planet factors in to the path the spacecraft takes. The more a spacecraft can “coast” with engines off, the lower the cost of the mission (rocket fuel is not cheap!).

Think of a quarterback throwing a football to a receiver. The initial impulse (throw) is all the football gets as far as power is concerned. The football follows a curved path into the hands of the receiver. Likewise, the quarterback throws the football to where the receiver is going to be, not necessarily to where the receiver is currently. So, the quarterback throws the football downfield as the receiver is running in that direction. In a perfectly thrown pass, the receiver’s running speed will bring him or her to the exact spot where the football arrives at hand-level.

Launching to Mars is similar to this. A spacecraft is given an initial impulse (launch) toward Mars and then shuts off its engines and coasts (obeying Newton’s First Law) until it gets close to its target. Depending on the mission, the spacecraft may slow down – to get into orbit or land – by using the Martian atmosphere or retro-rockets that fire opposite to the direction of travel (obeying Newton’s Third Law).

Though a spacecraft could follow a variety of curved paths from Earth to Mars, one path called the Hohmann transfer orbit uses the least energy and is thereby considered to be the most efficient.

The Hohmann transfer is an elliptical orbit with the sun at one focus of the ellipse that intersects the orbit of the target planet. Launch occurs when Earth is at Hohmann perihelion (the point of the Hohmann orbit that is closest to the sun). Arrival occurs when Mars is at Hohmann aphelion (the point of the Hohmann orbit that is farthest from the sun).

Depending on mission objectives and spacecraft characteristics, engineers will use variations on the Hohmann transfer orbit to get spacecraft to Mars. These variations can make travel time more or less lengthy than a standard Hohmann transfer.

To make sure the spacecraft and Mars arrive at the same place at the same time, the spacecraft must launch within a particular window of time. This window is called the “launch window” and, depending on the target, can be a few minutes or as much as a few weeks in length.

If a spacecraft is launched too early or too late, it will arrive in the planet’s orbit when the planet is not there.

When launched within the proper launch window, the spacecraft will arrive in the planet’s orbit just as the planet arrives at that same place. At this point, the spacecraft is positioned for either going into orbit about the planet or landing on the planet.

Calculating orbit trajectories and launch windows is a complex task involving a variety of parameters that may or may not be constantly changing. In order to make this task accessible to high-school students, some variable parameters have been stabilized and some assumptions have been made. This problem, with these simplifications, allows students to generate an approximation of the launch window to Mars.

• Explain to students that launching to Mars requires a spacecraft to travel in an elliptical orbit about the sun such that the spacecraft and Mars will arrive in the same place at the same time. Their task in this exercise is to determine when we should next launch to Mars.
• The orbits of Earth and Mars are circular and centered on the sun. (Earth’s orbit is more circular than Mars’ orbit, but they are both slightly elliptical.)
• Earth and Mars travel at constant speeds. (They do not. See Kepler’s Second Law).
• The orbits of Earth and Mars are in the same plane. (They are close but slightly out of plane with one another).

Use string and a pushpin to draw a circular orbit.

Use string and two pushpins to draw the elliptical Hohmann transfer orbit.

• Have students use Kepler’s Third Law, the Law of Harmony, to determine the period of the Hohmann transfer orbit and then the travel time to Mars along this orbit. Kepler’s Third Law states that the square of the period of any planet is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit. An equation can represent this relationship: P 2 =ka 3 with k being the constant of proportionality Using Earth as an example, we can measure P in years and a in astronomical units so P = 1 year and a = 1 AU. Thus, P 2 =ka 3 →k=1 => P 2 =a 3 P 2 = (1.26 AU) 3 => P ~ 1.41 years ~ 517 days The full period of this Hohmann transfer orbit is 517 days. Travel to Mars encompasses half of one orbit, so approximately 259 days.
• Using the planetary heliocentric longitudes, approximately when is the next opportunity for a launch to Mars?
• Must a spacecraft be launched at an exact moment in the launch window? What happens if it is launched early or late?
• Research: What is the average length of a launch window to Mars?
• Approximately when was the most recent opportunity for a launch to Mars? What countries took advantage of that opportunity and launched to Mars at that time? What is the current status of those missions? Were they successful?
• Have students create a spreadsheet that will subtract heliocentric longitudes for Earth and Mars to simplify launch window calculations.
• Relative to Mars, where is Earth in its orbit when the spacecraft arrives?

Explore More

• Meet JPL engineer Sue Finley – Finley started at JPL in 1958 as a human computer and still works at the laboratory.
• Women at JPL website  
• JPL History
• JPL 80th Anniversary Article
• JPL Timeline
• JPL 80th Anniversary Video Playlist
• JPL 80th Anniversary Printable Calendar
• Mars in a Minute Video Series
• Stomp Rockets Activity
• Basics of Space Flight Tutorial

Disclaimer: The following material is being kept online for archival purposes.

Although accurate at the time of publication, it is no longer being updated. the page may contain broken links or outdated information, and parts may not function in current web browsers., #21b     flight to mars: how long along what path, above is background material for archival reference only..

Distance to Mars: How far away is the Red Planet?

The distance to Mars from Earth is not that simple.

Mars orbit, opposition and viewing opportunities

Mars close approach, distance between mars and the sun, measuring the distance between earth and mars, additional resources.

The distance to Mars from Earth varies considerably depending on their orbits around the sun . 

In theory, the closest Mars and Earth would get is when Mars reaches its closest point to the sun (perihelion) and Earth is at its farthest (aphelion). This would bring the two planets within 33.9 million miles (54.6 million kilometers) of each other — but this has not yet happened in recorded history according to NASA . 

The closest recorded distance to Mars from Earth was recorded in August 2003 when the two were 34.8 million miles (56 million km) apart. According to NASA, the two will not be that close again until the year 2237. 

Related: How long does it take to get to Mars?  

Mars and Earth are farthest apart when they are both at aphelion and on opposite sides of the sun. Here, they can be 250 million miles (401 million km) apart according to the New York Times . The average distance between Earth and Mars is 140 million miles (225 million km). 

To understand how the distance between Mars and Earth differs so much, we need to look at their orbits. 

Neither Earth or Mars' orbit is perfectly circular, so the distance between the two is constantly changing. Think of the planets as two cars on a racetrack, with Earth on the inside lane moving faster than Mars — completing roughly two laps in the same time it takes Mars to complete one.

Mars opposition occurs when Earth "catches up" to Mars and is positioned between the sun and the Red Planet. During Mars oppositions, from Earth, we can see Mars rise in the east as the sun sets in the west, with the Red Planet being visible in our skies all night long. Such oppositions occur roughly every 26 months. Every 15 to 17 years we witness very close Mars oppositions when Earth passes between Mars and the sun during Mars' perihelion (closest point to the sun). 

The Red Planet makes for an interesting observing target in the night sky. It appears very bright and is visible even with the naked eye. 

If you're looking for a telescope or binoculars to observe Mars, check our guide for the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals now . If you need imaging gear, consider our best cameras for astrophotography and the best lenses for astrophotography . 

Mars makes a close approach to Earth roughly every 26 months — the same frequency as opposition occurs, according to NASA. Due to their orbital mechanics, the closest approach can occur a few days before or after opposition depending on whether Mars is moving away from the Earth and sun or towards the Earth and sun respectively, according to Celestron . 

– What is the temperature on Mars?  

– A brief history of Mars missions  

– How was Mars made?  

Not only does this time make for great skywatching opportunities but is also the best time to launch a spacecraft to the Red Planet. Many missions have taken advantage of the close distance to Mars which is why you'll often see Mars missions launch (if budget allows) every two years. 

In 2020, The UAE's Hope mission launched from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center on Jul. 19, China's Tianwen-1 mission launched from Hainan Island's Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Jul. 23 and NASA's Mars 2020 mission launched from Florida's Space Coast on Jul. 30, carrying the Perseverance rover . According to The Planetary Society , this was the first time three different countries have launched missions during the same window of opportunity.  

The average distance between Mars and the sun is 142 million miles (228 million kilometers). According to a NASA fact sheet , due to Mars' eccentric orbit, at its closest (perihelion) Mars is about 128 million miles (206 million km) from the sun and at its farthest distance (aphelion) Mars is about 154 million miles (249 million km) from the sun. 

According to the Teacher's Guide to the Universe from Princeton University, the distance between Earth and Mars was first determined by Giovanni Cassini in 1672 using the parallax method .

Cassini achieved this by sending his fellow astronomer Jean Richer to French Guiana to carry out measurements while he remained in Paris. They took measurements of the position of Mars and triangulated those measurements with the known distance between Paris and French Guiana. Cassini's calculation was only off by 7% compared to today's more accurate measurements. 

Nowadays, with several spacecraft orbiting or roaming along the surface of the Red Planet, scientists can use the speed of light to determine how far away Mars is from Earth, by measuring the time it takes for signals to reach Martian spacecraft, according to Universe Today .  

To find out how far away Mars is from Earth right now, check out this guide from The Sky Live. For a nice visualization of the distance between Earth and Mars and the time, it would take light to travel between the two, this animation by James O'Donoghue is a good resource. You can learn more about missions to Mars with NASA .  

Bibliography

• Conte, Davide, and David B. Spencer. " Mission analysis for Earth to Mars-Phobos distant Retrograde Orbits. " Acta Astronautica 151 (2018): 761-771. 
• NASA’s Mars 2020 Project, Report No. IG-17-009, Jan. 30, 2017. 
• Bell, J. F., et al. " Hubble space telescope imaging and spectroscopy of Mars during the extremely close approach of 2003 ." AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts. 2003 

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

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Daisy Dobrijevic joined Space.com in February 2022 having previously worked for our sister publication All About Space magazine as a staff writer. Before joining us, Daisy completed an editorial internship with the BBC Sky at Night Magazine and worked at the National Space Centre in Leicester, U.K., where she enjoyed communicating space science to the public. In 2021, Daisy completed a PhD in plant physiology and also holds a Master's in Environmental Science, she is currently based in Nottingham, U.K. Daisy is passionate about all things space, with a penchant for solar activity and space weather. She has a strong interest in astrotourism and loves nothing more than a good northern lights chase! 

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Screen Rant

How long does it take to get to mars trips to the red planet, explained.

There's a lot of talk about sending people to Mars. But how long does it take to make a trip to the Red Planet from Earth? Here's what we know.

Mars  stands out as one of the most fascinating planets in the entire Solar System — and a planet many people dream of visiting one day. Unfortunately, actually making a trip to get to the Red Planet can take  quite  a bit of time. Mars has long been a point of interest for astronomers all over the world. Thanks to its solid surface, rich history, and the belief that life once existed there, humans are constantly trying to learn more about our Martian neighbor.

This desire to explore Mars has only increased in recent years. NASA landed its Perseverance rover on Mars in February 2021, tasking it with collecting rock samples that'll eventually be returned to Earth. NASA also used its InSight probe in July 2021 to create an interior map of Mars — the first of its kind for a planet beyond Earth. Combine these robotic adventures with the building desire to send the first humans to Mars, and it's safe to say Martian interest has never been greater.

Related:  Is There Carbon On Mars? What The Element Could Tell Us About Mars' Past

All of this discussion of Mars raises an important question, however: How long does it take to get to the planet? It's not something that's given much thought when NASA sends a rover or orbiter to Mars, but if the organization's eventually going to send people there, how long of a trip can they expect? The average distance between Mars and Earth is around 140 million miles. Let's say someone was traveling at 60 mph — a typical driving speed for a car here on Earth. At that rate, it could take a little under 2,330,333 hours to get to Mars (or around 266 years). Thankfully, ships designed for space travel can go  much  faster . NASA's New Horizons spacecraft — one of the fastest ever created — could reach Mars in around 162 days traveling at 36,000 mph.

The Distance Between Earth And Mars Is Constantly Changing

Those are all just average numbers, though. Because Earth, Mars, and other planets orbit the Sun at different speeds, that means the distance between them is constantly changing. That 140 million mile distance between Earth and Mars is just an average. The closest Mars ever got to Earth was in 2003 when it was just 34.8 million miles from the planet. If NASA could have used its New Horizons ship to fly to Mars then, it would have reached the Red Planet in about 40 days! When the two planets are at their furthest point from each other, they can be separated by up to 250 million miles . Even with the incredible speed of New Horizons, it'd take the ship 289 days to reach Mars at this distance.

This variable distance between Earth and Mars is immediately apparent when looking at past missions to the Red Planet. Most recently, it took NASA's Perseverance rover 203 days of traveling from its launch on Earth to landing on Mars' surface. 2005's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter made it to Mars in 205 days, the Pathfinder spacecraft got on Mars after 212 days, and Curiosity arrived on Mars following 254 days of travel. NASA tries to plan its launches around optimal positions between Earth and Mars, but of course, there's always some variance in how long it takes to get there.

There's no doubt that a trip to Mars takes a  long  time right now . Thankfully, this is something scientists and engineers are constantly trying to improve. SpaceX, for example, estimates it could send people to Mars in as little as 80 days! It'll be a while before that's standard practice, but it goes to show that 200+ days of travel won't always be the norm.

Next:  Why Is Mars Red?

Source:  NASA

Your guide to the solar eclipse 2024 - when is it happening?

A rare total solar eclipse will occur across a strip of the United States on Monday, with millions hoping to catch a glimpse of the celestial phenomenon that is the continent’s first since 2017.

Here’s what you need to know:

What is a total solar eclipse?

On Monday April 8 2024 Mexico, the US and Canada will experience a total solar eclipse when the Moon will line up perfectly between the Earth and the Sun and block out the Sun for a total of 4 minutes and 28 seconds.

What time is it set to begin?

Nasa says it will enter the US at 2.27pm ET (6:27pm GMT) and leave around an hour later.

Why is everyone excited?

Often such events happen in remote parts of the world but this year it will pass over many heavily populated places. Once it hits the US from Mexico, it will pass through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. 

Tiny parts of Michigan and Tennessee will also be able to witness totality if conditions are clear. When the eclipse enters Canada it will pass over southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton, at the eastern end of Nova Scotia.

How many people will be able to see it?

Estimates suggest 44 million people live within the path of totality, with another couple hundred million within 200 miles.

What are people doing to prepare to see it?

The eclipse has become a major tourist attraction, with large numbers of people flying to locations in the area of total eclipse. CBS News said as many as 4 million people were expected to fly to cities such as Dallas, adding up to $1bn into local economies as hotels and campsites get sold out.

Is there really a mass wedding?

Just a few moments before the eclipse, almost 300 couples from 22 states are set to wed in Russellville, Arkansas, which is in the area of totality. Among them are Carlotta Cox and Matthew Holloway of Knoxville, Tennessee.

“Being in the path of totality during a solar eclipse is just something,” Mr Cox told a local reporter. “There’s not an experience like it and for people that have not really experienced it, I recommend that they put it on their bucket list.”

What are others doing?

There are watch parties hosted by everything from Brooklyn Botanic Garden (which should get around 90 per cent totality) to the Main Street Garden in Dallas, which should get 100 per cent totality.

The New York Adventure Club is selling a three-day train journey in 1950s First Class Pullman cars for $8,000 from New York City to Niagara Falls from April 7-9 “to witness an awe-inspiring total eclipse pass over New York State for the first time in over 60 years”. Inmates at New York state’s Woodbourne Correctional Facility will get to view the eclipse after lawyers sued the state’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision over not being allowed to see it.

What will happen during the eclipse?

“During a total eclipse, the sky darkens suddenly and dramatically. The temperature drops. Stars come out. Beautiful colours appear around the horizon,” said National Public Radio science journalist Nell Greenfieldboyce.

“And the once-familiar Sun becomes a black void in the sky surrounded by the glowing corona - that’s the ghostly white ring that is the Sun’s atmosphere.”

While it is not expected pets and farm and zoo animals will act too strangely, there are some potential exceptions; the New York Times says “cows may mosey into their barns for bedtime, flamingoes may huddle together in fear [and] the giant, slow-motion Galápagos tortoise may even get frisky and mate”. In truth, nobody is completely sure and experts will be watching what happens.

Is it safe to look at the Sun?

Experts say it is not safe to look at the Sun during a partial eclipse with the naked eye and people should use eclipse glasses that are thousands of times darker than normal sunglasses. During the few minutes of totality, when the Moon is fully blocking the Sun, it is safe to look.

Is there also a comet to see?

During totality viewers may be able to see Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks a comet, along with Venus Saturn and Mars. It may be hard to see with the naked eye.

When was the last total solar eclipse?

The last was August 21, 2017, August 21, 2017, but it only lasted about half the time of this one. The next total eclipse is to take place in Wed, Aug 12, 2026, but expected to hit just parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain.

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