The first person to think hard about how long it would take for a person to fly to Mars, and to conduct a technical analysis of this possibility, was a scientist back in 1948, one of the founders of modern rocket science. After him, the idea of ​​such a flight was considered by both the first space powers and private companies.

How many kilometers to fly to Mars from Earth?

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and closest to Earth, after Venus. The mission to Venus is difficult due to its climatic conditions:

• enormous atmospheric pressure;
• acid rain;
• high temperature.

We have no chance there!

The climatic conditions of Mars are most suitable for visiting. The distance between the planets is microscopic by cosmic standards. But a person will have to fly a lot to Mars, tens or even hundreds of millions of kilometers.

The bottom line is how many kilometers to fly from Earth largely depends on the specific trajectory - the route of the journey. It usually takes the form of a "grand arc" that elegantly links the launch time on Earth to the destination. These arcs are many times longer than the straight-line distance between two celestial objects at a certain point in time.

Let's ask ourselves a question: - How long does it take to get to Mars?

Let's assume that for our calculations we use a simple route in a straight line, where the distance is minimal.

Based on the fact that the planets in the solar system revolve around the Sun, each in its own elliptical orbit, with its own unique speed, and the distance between two planetary objects will constantly change. Scientists managed to find out the distance, how many kilometers to fly along a linear trajectory from Earth to Mars:

• The maximum distance will be 401,330,000 km.
• The average path length is 227,943,000 km.
• The minimum we will need to overcome is only 54,556,000 km.

The planets reach this minimum distance from each other approximately every two years. And this is the perfect time to launch missions.

Where should Mars be during launch?

You won't be able to fly to your destination in a straight line. It was said earlier that the planets are constantly moving. In this case spacecraft It just won’t meet the red planet on its way, and it will be necessary to catch up with it in theory. In practice, this is impossible; we do not yet have such technologies to pursue a planetary object.

Therefore, for a flight, you need to choose a launch when the arrival in orbit coincides with the arrival of Mars itself in the same place, or arrive earlier and allow it to catch up with us.

Practically, this means that you can begin your journey only when the planets are in the correct position. This launch window opens every 26 months. During this time, the spacecraft can use what is considered the most energy-efficient flight path known as the Hohmann trajectory, but we'll talk about that later.

Orbital mechanics or how many kilometers need to be covered

Since the elliptical orbits of the Earth and Mars are at different distances from the Sun, and the planets move along them with at different speeds, the distance between them varies significantly. As noted earlier, approximately every two years and two months the planets reach their closest point to each other. This point is called " ", when Mars can be at its minimum distance from Earth, from 55.68 to 101.39 million kilometers, depending on what year it is.

Thirteen months after the confrontation, he reaches the junction. Which means the red and blue planet are on opposite sides The sun and as far away from each other as possible. Obviously, if we want to get to the target faster, it is best to plan the departure at the standoff point. But it's not that simple!

Fast travel would be possible if the interplanetary ship followed a straight path. Unfortunately, space travel is much more complicated than a straight line. The orbital mechanics of each planet is unique. All planetary bodies of the solar system are located in constant movement and this makes the journey really difficult.

So how many kilometers does it take to travel to Mars from Earth? Let's try to figure it out. If you still think that best way get to the target - wait until the two planets are closest to each other, then point the rocket at the target and fly over. Know that this will not work for several reasons:

• Firstly, the Earth's gravity will bend the trajectory of any launched vehicle. To eliminate this factor, suppose the rocket is placed in a distant orbit around the Earth, where gravity is weak and orbital motion is slow, allowing both facts to be neglected. Even then, this rocket is still orbiting the Sun along with the Earth, and moving at a speed of about 30 km/s. So, if the rocket continues to fly towards the intended target, it will maintain the speed of the Earth and begin its rotation around the Sun at the same time moving to the flight control point.
• Secondly, if we fly out when Mars is closest to Earth, while the spacecraft is moving towards the target, the planet will have moved away along its orbital path long before the spacecraft has covered the distance.
• Third, the entire system was dominated by the Sun's gravity. All objects move along orbits or trajectories, which, according to Kepler's laws, are parts of conic sections, in this case ellipses. In general, they are curved.

Going to cherished goal during a confrontation, in reality the nearest distance will be much more significant. To overcome it you need to use a large amount of fuel. Unfortunately, we technically cannot increase the volume of tanks. Therefore, to fly to Mars, astrophysicists accelerate the ship, and then it flies by inertia, unable to resist the gravity of celestial bodies, which significantly increases the distance as the device flies in a large arc. This route represents half of the heliocentric orbit around the Sun between Mars and Earth.

Recall: heliocentric orbit is an elliptical trajectory of motion celestial body around the Sun.

Let's calculate, the length of half of the Earth's orbit is 3.14 AU. Mars has 4.77 AU. We need an average orbit between the planets, half its length is 3.95 AU. multiply by the distance 1 AU. and round it up.

Let us remind you: one astronomical unit (1 AU) is equal to 149597868 km.

It turns out that the approximate distance that will have to be covered will be about 600 million kilometers. To more accurately calculate how many kilometers to fly, more complex algorithms are used.

How long does it take to fly to Mars?

The question of how long it takes to fly to Mars cannot be answered unambiguously.
Flight time depends on a number of factors:

1. speed of the device;
2. route route;
3. relative position of the planets;
4. amount of cargo on board (payload);
5. amount of fuel.

If we take the first two factors as a basis, then we can theoretically calculate how long it takes to fly to Mars from Earth in time. In order for the device to go on a space journey, it needs to take off from the Earth and overcome its gravity.

Scientific facts: In order to get to low-Earth orbit the rocket speed must be at least 7.9 km/s (29 thousand km/h). To send a ship on an interplanetary journey you need a little more than 11.2 km/s (40 thousand km/h).

On average, travelers make interplanetary flights at a speed of about 20 km/s. But there are also record holders.

The fastest vehicle launched into space by man is the New Horizons probe. Neither before nor after New Horizons, interplanetary vehicles flew away from Earth at a speed of 16.26 km/s. But if we talk about speed in a heliocentric orbit, then we need to add the speed of the Earth to 16.26 km/s - this is 30 km/s, and we get approximately 46 km/s relative to the Sun. This is impressive - 58536 km/h.

Taking these data into account, the duration of the flight to Mars along the shortest, direct trajectory will take 941 hours or 39 Earth days. A person will have to fly along a route corresponding to the average distance between our planets for 3879 hours, or 162 days. The duration of the flight at maximum distance will be 289 days.

Let's dream and imagine that we went to Mars by plane in a straight line. If you fly by plane 54.556 million kilometers, and average speed modern passenger aircraft is about 1 thousand km/h, it will take 545,560 hours, or 22,731 days and 16 hours. And it looks even more impressive at almost 63 years old. And if we fly along an ellipse, then this figure will increase 8–10 times, which is an average of 560 years.

How many Earth years, days, hours does it take for a man to fly to Mars?

How long does it take for a person to fly to Mars from Earth? If you dream of one day becoming an astronaut on the first manned flight, be prepared for a long journey. Scientists estimate that the round trip will take about 450 Earth days, an average of 10,800 hours or 1.2 years.

Forecasts: how long to fly by time

The most important variable about how long it will take a human to get to Mars is obvious - how fast are you going? Speed ​​is the determining factor. The faster we can accelerate the ship, the faster we will arrive at our destination. The flight time on the fastest rocket along the route with the shortest linear distance between the planets will be no more than 42 Earth days.

Scientists have launched a whole bunch of interplanetary modules, so we have a rough idea of ​​how long it will take using modern technology.

So on average, space probes manage to reach Mars from 128 to 333 days.

If we tried to send a man today, that's the best we could realistically do - especially considering we'd be sending a large manned spacecraft, not just a probe the size of an SUV. Assemble an interplanetary ship in Earth orbit, fill it with fuel and send it flying.

The tech mogul who heads SpaceX says his Interplanetary Transportation System could handle a trip in just 80 days, and could eventually travel in just 30 days.

Countries around the world are conducting research on how long it will take a human flight to Mars. Research in the 90s, in theory, suggested sending a person to the 2000s. The minimum journey would have taken 134 days one way, the maximum 350. It was assumed that the flight would take place with a crew of 2 to 12 people.

According to calculations by the company's scientists, the travel time will take about 210 days or 7–8 months

According to NASA, interplanetary travel with humans will take about six months to get to Mars and another six months to return. Additionally, astronauts will have to spend 18 to 20 months on the surface before the planets align again for the return trip.

Now let's talk about how to actually get to our neighboring planet and how long it will take.

How long to fly to Mars is considered quite simple: near the Earth we give an acceleration impulse and move to an ellipse that touches both orbits. Having reached Mars, we again give an impulse to accelerate and move into its orbit. Flight time can be calculated using Kepler's third law.

Why does it take so long to fly

Why can't we get there faster now:

• The first reason is the huge distances. The minimum distance is calculated not even in millions, but in tens of millions of kilometers. Let me remind you that the maximum distance to the planet is 401330000 km.
• The second reason is technological. The most common type of engine used for space flights is a chemical rocket jet engine. He is capable of accelerating spacecraft up to very high speeds. But such engines operate for no more than a few minutes, the reason for this is too much fuel consumption. The rocket spends almost its entire supply to break away from the surface and overcome the gravitational force of the planet. It is currently not possible to take an additional supply of fuel on a flight for technical reasons.

How to get to Mars with the least amount of fuel

How much fuel will it take to get to Mars? The most important aspect interplanetary flights is the fuel supply on the rocket. When using chemical rocket engines, and there are no real alternatives to them yet, a lot of fuel is needed.

• Firstly, this is due to the need to overcome the force of gravity of the Earth. And the greater the mass of the ship, the more energy is needed for takeoff, and, accordingly, fuel.
• Secondly, even if you choose the most economical flight route, the rocket needs to reach at least 11.59 km/s. In terms of conventional units of measurement, this is 41,724 km/h.

In addition to gaining speed, when approaching Mars, the spacecraft needs to reset it, and this can only be achieved by starting the engines and spending fuel accordingly. We must not forget about the operation of life support systems, because the flight is supposed to involve people.

You can fly to Mars in less time, but you will also need to use more fuel. This is due to the need to increase the flight speed. In this case, fuel consumption for braking will increase.

The main problem for engineers - how to get to Mars with the least amount of fuel - was solved back in 1925 by Walter Homann. The essence of his method is that instead of sending the rocket directly to the planet, you need to increase its orbit, as a result it will follow a larger orbit around the Sun than the Earth. Eventually the rocket will cross the orbit of Mars - at the very moment when he, too, will be there.

This method of travel is what engineers call a minimum energy transfer orbit - using it to send spacecraft from Earth to Mars with the least amount of fuel.

How to fly faster - possible routes

There are several ways to get to your destination. There are three of them in total, they all differ only in two parameters - movement speed in outer space and time in flight.

Elliptical trajectory

The most economical, but also the longest option is the elliptical flight path. It is also called “Gomanovskaya”, in honor of the German scientist Walter Homann. In this case, the spacecraft will pass tangentially to the orbit of Mars, moving along an ellipse. To fly along such a route, you will need to accelerate the rocket to 11.59 km/s. The travel time will be 259 days, since it is necessary to cover a greater distance than when moving along the other two trajectories. To switch to the simplest “Gomanov” trajectory, it will be necessary to increase the rate of motion of the near-Earth satellite by 2.9 km per second.

During space exploration, scientists sent several satellites for study along the Gomanov trajectory. These were both Soviet and American vehicles.

Parabolic trajectory

The second option is a parabolic flight path. To reach it, you will need to accelerate the ship to 16.6 km/s. Travel time will be only 70 days. In this case, the fuel consumption for rocket acceleration, as well as for braking before landing, increases significantly. Scientists estimate the increase in energy costs when flying along a parabolic route by 4.3 times, when compared with an elliptical one.

A parabolic trajectory involves the movement of the apparatus along a line in the shape of a parabola.

Despite rising fuel costs, parabolic flights are very attractive to scientists. First of all, due to the reduction in costs for protecting the crew from radiation, as well as for supplies of provisions, oxygen and other life support.

Hyperbolic trajectory

The last possible trajectory is hyperbolic. To fly along such a trajectory, the device must be accelerated to speeds exceeding a third of space speed (16.7 km/s). When moving along a hyperbolic trajectory, the rocket must, as it were, fly past Mars, changing the direction of movement, falling into its gravitational field. The flight line in this case is similar to a hyperbole. Landing becomes possible if the engines are started in time to brake near the planet.

Ideas to reduce flight time

Depending on initial speed flight from Earth (from 11.6 km per second to 12 km per second), the duration of the flight to Mars varies from 260 to 150 days. To reduce the time of interplanetary flight, it is necessary to increase the speed, which will affect the decrease in the arc length of the ellipse of the route. But at the same time, the encounter with Mars increases: from 5.7 to 8.7 km per second, which complicates the flight with the need for a safe descent to enter the Martian orbit or for the purpose of landing on the surface. In this case, if we want to get there faster, we need new engines to accelerate the ship and have time to slow down.

To speed up the flight time, you need to use other types of rocket engines, for example, electric rocket engines and even nuclear ones.

The advantage of electric motors is the possibility of long-term operation, up to several years. But such devices develop very weak thrust. It is still impossible to even get off the Earth on such a rocket. In outer space, electric motors can reach very high speeds. Higher than existing chemical engines. True, this will take him up to several months. This development is still suitable for interstellar flights, but flying to Mars with such an engine is impractical.

If ion engines are not an option for us, then what future technologies could reduce travel times to just a few days?

There are the following ideas on how to speed up the flight to Mars:

1. The use of nuclear rockets, the basis of which is to heat liquefied fuel and then eject it from a nozzle at a very high speed. It is assumed that a nuclear rocket could reduce the flight time to Mars to about 7 months. Some scientists believe that modern nuclear powered engines could shorten the trip by up to 39 days. Can you imagine how fast this spaceship will fly? Nuclear rocket engines have not yet progressed beyond ground-based prototypes, but scientists are constantly working on such a project.
2. Use of magnetism. Magnetism technology is based on the use of a special electromagnetic device that will ionize and heat rocket fuel, turning it into ionized gas or plasma, which will accelerate the spacecraft. Using this method, the flight can be shortened to 5 months.
3. Use of antimatter. This is the strangest of ideas, although it may turn out to be the most successful. Antimatter particles can only be produced in a particle accelerator. A huge amount of energy is released when particles and antiparticles collide. This can be used in many useful things. According to preliminary calculations, for the ship to reach its target, only 10 milligrams of antimatter will be required. However, it would be necessary to spend at least $250 million to produce 10 mg of antimatter. A flight to Mars using antimatter will take only 45 days!

How much will the trip cost?

In addition to the fact that the flight is very long, it is also an expensive undertaking; questions arise about how much it costs to fly to Mars.

One estimate of the costs associated with sending people was made during the George H. W. Bush administration. The range varied from $80 billion to $100 billion. More recent studies have narrowed it down to $20-40 billion.

According to billionaire Elon Musk, the flight will cost less than $500,000, which isn't that much after all. He says the price could eventually drop to $100,000. And don't worry about the return trip, because according to Elon, it will be free.

Why go to Mars

There are many reasons for organizing such a mission.

The first is research. Mars is similar to Earth in many ways, and according to scientists, the planets used to have the same atmosphere, and probably life. Large-scale research should answer the question of whether life is present now, whether the planets are really so similar, and why it became a desert world. The photographs show many interesting and unexplained phenomena on the surface, which humanity is also eager to study.

The second reason is colonialist. There are theories according to which it is possible to artificially recreate the atmosphere. Therefore, develop an ecosystem. This means that in the future, earthly plants will be able to grow there, animals and, of course, people will live there.

The third reason is human curiosity. This is the force that allowed us to go from ancient people with primitive tools to a civilization capable of launching research satellites into remote corners of the universe. One example of such a mission was the landing of an automatic vehicle on the surface of a comet!

How many unsolved flight problems exist?

Besides the long trip, a manned mission presents many other challenges:

Scientists worry that astronauts will be exposed to cosmic rays and other radiation during the long journey. They are also concerned about the physical effects that astronauts experience when exposed to low-gravity, low-light environments for long periods of time.

Perhaps the most difficult factor to predict is the psychological effect that astronauts may experience as a result of isolation. No one is quite sure how much mental stress will be caused by the lack of contact with friends and family that astronauts leave behind.

Other obstacles to such a manned mission include: fuel, oxygen, water and food for the astronauts.

Conclusion

A flight to Mars is a technically very complex and expensive idea. Those who will be the first to set foot on the surface of the Red Planet will accelerate to incredible speeds and cover millions of kilometers. In order for them to reach their destination safely, scientists need to come up with means of protection from cosmic radiation, as well as work on creating and improving life support systems. It is necessary to accurately calculate the mass of the ship and payload, and choose the optimal flight route.

History of flights to Mars

The planet Mars is perhaps one of the most mysterious in our world. A bright red star, which can be seen even with the naked eye in the night sky, has since ancient times attracted the attention of learned astronomers, priests, poets; pagan gods were named after it. But the most controversy and debate, undoubtedly, is the question of the presence of life on this planet (even the simplest single-celled organisms). A lot has been said and written about this too, including on ours. In a word, the planet Mars still conceals many mysteries, and in order to solve them, humanity will have to explore Mars in more detail and detail; perhaps the day is not far off when a person will set foot on the red planet for the first time. But for this to happen, it is necessary to solve very important pressing issues: to develop the technology for such flights, to carry it out, to take into account many important nuances, such as the effect of cosmic radiation on astronauts, and, of course, to correctly calculate both the flight path and how long it will take to fly to Mars from the Earth.

In fact, everything is not so simple here, because both the Earth and Mars move in their orbits around the Sun at different speeds, and accordingly the distance between them constantly changes. Once every two years, this distance is minimal, since our planets come together at the shortest possible distance, such a rapprochement in astronomy is called opposition, this is what it looks like in the picture

Confrontation between Mars and Earth.

Obviously, the spacecraft should be sent to Mars precisely at the moment of opposition, when the distance between Earth and Mars is minimal.

This is all, of course, important, but now let's answer our main pressing question: how long does it take for a person to fly to Mars? So, taking into account the latest modern technologies, such a flight will take from 150 to 300 days, taking into account the launch speed, the location of the planets, and the flight path. Moreover, a very important factor here is the availability of fuel; the more there is, the faster the flight will be.

History of flights to Mars

Attempts to send a shuttle to Mars had already been made by NASA; the first unmanned spacecraft to fly the Earth-Mars route was called Mariner 4 and was launched at the end of November 1964. He arrived on Mars on July 14, 1965, taking 21 detailed photographs of the surface of the “red planet”; these photographs were the first of their kind in history. The one-way flight to Mars itself took 228 days.

Mariner 4 is the first spacecraft to visit Mars.

The second flight, which was carried out by the Mariner 6 ship, was much faster; the ship took off from the Earth on February 25, 1965 and after 156 days of flight, on July 31, it reached Mars. The next ship, Mariner 7, reached the “red planet” in just 131 days.

But Mariner 9 became the first Earth spacecraft to enter Martian orbit; its flight there took 167 days.

The difficulties of flying to Mars

And yet, the available flight durations to Mars are still very long, but could they be faster? Let's do the math: the distance between our planets is approximately 55 million kilometers, while the latest spaceships are capable of moving at a maximum speed of 20 thousand. kilometers per hour, it turns out that the flight from Earth to Mars will take at least 115 days. But this is ideal, but practice, unfortunately, differs from ideal conditions, and according to it, such a flight takes twice as long. Why is this so?

• Firstly, that the Earth and Mars do not stand still, but are constantly moving in orbit, and you cannot just launch a rocket from point A to point B. Because if you launch a ship to where Mars is now, by the time it reaches the planet it will go further along orbit, and therefore you need to aim ahead, to where Mars will just appear; for this, again, you need to very carefully calculate the flight path, because a mistake can be very costly.
• Another difficulty when flying on Mars is fuel, or rather its limitation. If we assume that our spacecraft has unlimited fuel, then we can simply fly to Mars directly, accelerating until halfway, and then deploy all the nozzles and slow down. But this will require an incredible amount of fuel and, as a result, an incredibly gigantic ship to carry all this fuel.

How to speed up your flight to Mars

Now leading NASA scientists and designers are working on issues of accelerating flights to Mars, and indeed flights within our borders. solar system. However, a 250-day journey to Mars could be acceptable, because at one time Columbus, who discovered America, and other brave sailors of the era of the great geographical discoveries swam no less, so astronauts going to other planets would be a match for them. But the point is not only this, but the fact that in order to send the first people to Mars on a spacecraft, it will be necessary to use a radically different type of fuel. In addition, space is far from the most hospitable place for people, and it is necessary to think about how to protect astronauts from the effects of cosmic radiation, which will be deposited in all parts of the body and subsequently remain with the person for life. Reducing flight time will reduce a person's risk of being exposed to this radiation.

Among the ideas for speeding up space flights On Mars, in our opinion, the following deserve attention:

• The use of nuclear missiles, the basis of which is the heating of liquefied fuel and its subsequent ejection from the nozzle at a very high speed. The thrust when using nuclear rockets will be many times stronger, which theoretically could shorten the flight to Mars to 7 months.
• Use of magnetism. Magnetism technology is based on the use of a special electromagnetic device that will ionize and heat rocket fuel, turning it into ionized gas, or in other words into plasma, which will accelerate the spacecraft. With this method, the flight can hypothetically be reduced to 5 months.
• Use of antimatter. This is perhaps the strangest of the ideas, although it may also be the most successful. Antimatter particles can only be obtained in a particle accelerator and according to physics elementary particles and Einstein’s famous equation, when particles and antiparticles collide, a colossal amount of energy is released, which could be used in so useful a matter. According to preliminary calculations, in order for a ship to reach Mars, only 10 milligrams of antimatter will be needed, but just for production, even this small amount of antimatter will need to spend at least 250 million dollars. The flight to Mars itself using antimatter, again, according to preliminary calculations, will take only 45 days.

Be that as it may, it will be hoped that the day will come when a person will be able to go to Mars (and to other planets) as easily as today he can go to another city.

Article updated 07/20/2018.

Mars one program

At the moment there is already a real space program flight of astronauts to Mars, called “Mars one”. According to it, it is planned that the first group of earthlings will go to conquer Mars in 2025. And then every two years new groups of settlers will join them. But what’s most interesting is that for future Martian pioneers, their flight to Mars will be a “one-way ticket.” Yes, they, unfortunately, will not be able to return to Earth due to the flight difficulties described above - due to the limited supply of fuel and the increasing distance between our planets.

In addition, due to a long stay on the “red planet”, some muscles atrophy over time; the fact is that the force of gravity on Mars is much less than on Earth. Let's say, a person weighing 100 kg will weigh only 38 kg on Mars.

Despite all these circumstances, more than 20 thousand people applied to participate in the “Mars one” program to conquer the red planet. Of these, 1,058 people were pre-selected for possible participation in the program. Would you like to go to Mars?

Elon Musk and his Tesla

Another significant event took place quite recently (before the original publication date of our article), namely the launch of the Tesla Roadster to Mars by Elon Musk and his company Space X, which took place on February 6, 2018. Tesla was launched into orbit by a Falcon-Heavy rocket from the Cape Canaveral Cosmodrome (USA).

Falcon-Heavy launch video.

And this is actually a photo of a car with an astronaut dummy inside, which was sent into space. Initially, it was planned to send Tesla specifically to Mars, however, it did not work out to put the car on the planned course to the “red planet”; the speed with which the Falcon-Heavy rocket entered space was too high, as a result, the flight path shifted.

How Long Does It Take to Get to Mars? .

Why Mars attracts earthly inhabitants is often difficult to explain. Some want to make sure that there is no intelligent life on the planet, others want to enjoy the incredible optical phenomena observed above the surface. But more serious people have completely different goals. Mars is the most similar to Earth of all the planets in the solar system.

According to scientists, in the past the same atmosphere was present on the red planet, trees grew, rivers flowed and there was life. Is this really so, what happened on Mars and whether a similar fate awaits the Earth can be found out by visiting the planet. But while this is only at the planning stage, ordinary people are interestedhow long does it take to get to Mars?. We will answer this question in the current article.

Features of the planet

So, as mentioned above, the planet Mars has many similarities with the Earth.

It is absolutely certain that Mars in its familiar form is incapable of supporting life. At least for now. Scientists believe that the planet has potential; to finally be convinced of this, you need to visit it.

By the way, the planet got its name from the ancient Romans, precisely because of its unusual color. Red was associated with blood, and the planet was named after the god of war.

Even the composition of the soil on Earth and Mars is essentially identical. The only difference is that on Earth, in addition to stones and minerals, there is also organic matter. There is also no liquid water on Mars, in particular due to the same thin atmosphere, which does not provide the necessary heat to the surface.

In addition, Mars has a very interesting surface topography.

• Mount Olympus is considered the largest in the solar system and is three times larger than our Everest.
• Also here is the largest Valle Marineris, the length of which is as much as 4 kilometers.
• The largest volcano in the solar system is located on Mars; its diameter is 600 kilometers.

Mars is also known for its dust storms, which also have no analogues on any planet in the solar system. Despite the fact that the planet is still not fully explored, humanity already knows quite a lot about it.

How long does it take to get to Mars?

The planet Mars can often be seen in the sky with the naked eye. Perhaps it is precisely because of this that it is closest to people and many wonder -how long does it take to get to Mars?. The bright red star attracts humanity throughout its life. Many people are ready to quit today earthly life and fly to Mars, attempting to colonize it, realizing that this is a one-way path.

It is impossible to answer the question posed unequivocally. At different times, the flight from Earth to Mars will take different times. This is evidenced by reports on the flights of artificial satellites and rovers that successfully reached the planet. The thing is that both planets move around the Sun, the orbit of Mars is larger than the earth’s and the planets are constantly moving away or approaching each other.

About once every two years, the planets enter the point of opposition, at which point the distance between Mars and Earth is minimal and is only 55.6 million kilometers. If at this moment we send a spacecraft to Mars, then under ideal conditions it will reach its goal after 115 days. But unfortunately, ideal conditions are impossible, since the planets are constantly shifting relative to each other and during the flight, Mars will be at a different point and the duration of the flight will increase.

If we calculate the duration of the flight from Earth to Mars at the moment when both planets are at their maximum distance from each other (401 million km), it turns out that at least 300 days are needed. In this case, the decisive factor will be the amount of fuel; the more fuel the rocket has, the faster the flight will be.

Since rockets have already been launched to the red planet several times, scientists have complete statistical data on flight duration, obtained experimentally. Based on them, flights to Mars lasted from 131 to 228 days.

How long does it take to get to Mars?Even a learned astronomer will not answer clearly. There are too many factors to consider before making a guess about flight duration:

• speed of movement of Mars and Earth;
• flight speed of the spacecraft;
• distance;
• the need for course correction.

You shouldn’t count on the shortest duration, however, you won’t have to fly for 300 days.

Successful expeditions

As readers have already noticed, there is a lot of information about Mars, most of which was obtained thanks to expeditions made to Mars. Of course, man has not yet been able to visit the planet, this is only planned, but probes and rovers have successfully explored the planet. Not all attempts were successful; we will consider only those that gave the desired result.

• 1962, the Russian Mars-1 apparatus never reached the required distance to the planet, although it was equipped with an excellent trajectory correction system. Nevertheless, he transmitted a lot of important and necessary data to the station, before control was completely lost and the device disappeared into the vastness of space. It took him 230 days to reach the planet.
• 1964, the American Mariner 4 flew to the red planet in 228 days and was able to completely orbit it. This is the first most successful flight to Mars. A series of photographs were taken that were the first of their kind.
• 1969 The American Mariner 6 reached Mars in just 156 days. In the same year, the Mariner 7 spacecraft followed. They made the first study of the planet's atmosphere and determined the surface temperature of Mars.
• 1971 America launched the first artificial satellite Mariner 9, which carried out the first surface mapping of Mars. Flight time is 169 days.
• 1974 The domestic Mars-5 made a successful soft landing on the surface of the planet and spent 2 weeks on it. The device flew to Mars for 210 days.

There were quite a lot of missions, only some of them were completed with maximum efficiency. Most gave partial, but no less valuable results. But there were even more unsuccessful attempts, which resulted in launch vehicle crashes, loss of communication, failure of the booster system, and much more.

Today, manned flights to Mars are being planned in full swing.How long does it take to get to Mars?we have already found out, but when showing a desire to become a member of the expedition, one should take into account that this is a very difficult test for the human body, nervous system and, of course, a one-way flight. The first volunteers will have to end their days on Mars far from their families and familiar surroundings.

Ideas for the exploration of Mars and planned manned flights

The idea of ​​flying to Mars and creating a full-fledged colony there suitable for human life haunts not only state institutions, but also to private organizations. The United States occupies a leading position in strategy development and research. Among private organizations, we cannot ignore the well-known Elon Musk with his legendary red Tesla and the SpaceX company.

US plans

This country is planning a manned flight to Mars with a full landing on the surface in 2030. The extent to which these plans will come true is not yet known. The researchers were going to make a training flight and landing on one of the satellites of Mars. However, they were advised to abandon such risky ideas and work on their plans on our Moon.

SpaceX

As you know, Elon Musk has already sent a symbolic Tesla to Mars with an astronaut dummy in the driver’s seat. Of course, it will not reach its destination, but the car, like no other, symbolically reminds that flights to Mars are just around the corner.

In general, the billionaire’s plans include building a greenhouse on the red planet in which colonizers will be able to grow earthly plants to provide themselves with food. Due to the fact that there are no missiles capable of fulfilling his dream yet, he decided to develop it himself. Today, SpaceX is planning a human flight to the red planet in 2020.

Mars One

Another Mars colonization project. In this case, everything is even more interesting. The organizers don't just want to create a colony and send people there. They plan to make a show on this and broadcast human survival on an uninhabited planet on TV. The ratings will be incredible, the spectacle itself will not be for the faint of heart.

Inspiration Mars Foundation

The non-profit organization plans to send astronauts to Mars before anyone else. According to her, the flight will take place in 2020, but it does not involve landing, but only an orbital flight and return.

This is far from full list initiatives in this matter. As you can see, Martian romance attracts many. However, it still contains more questions than answers. In addition, both flying and being on an alien planet can hardly be called a fun and exciting adventure. The astronauts face considerable challenges.

Now you knowhow long does it take to get to Mars?. Come to the discussion, let's talk about the red planet, interest in it and a possible colony. Share the article on social networks and stay tuned.

According to scientists, it was on Mars that there once was a large amount of water and a warm climate. Such conclusions led to increased interest in this planet and the emergence of attempts to study it in more detail.

On this basis, various philanthropists-researchers emerged leading projects for the colonization of the planet, and thanks to modern technologies and the development of science made such undertakings possible. Movies are appearing based on the research, and Internet users are increasingly asking the question of how long it will take to get to Mars. Let's talk about this in more detail.

The interest in space exploration on the part of scientists is quite understandable and understandable. But how is it formed among ordinary people? Everything is even simpler here. Let's take cinema for example. In 2015, the film “The Martian,” based on the novel of the same name by Andrew Weir, was released.

The plot of the film is based on the fact that an expedition to explore the surface of the planet is forced to leave Mars due to a strong storm. One of the participants in the research flight is unconscious, and the team concludes that he died. As a result, the departure takes place without him, and the astronaut comes to his senses and is left alone with the unexplored planet.

Despite the fact that the film itself is just an adventure fantasy and has little to do with reality, it inspired many romantics to think about the questions of how long it takes to get to Mars and whether life is possible on it. The astronaut, who at all costs must survive on an alien planet and wait for the return of the expedition (and according to the creators' plan, this will take almost four years) attracts the attention of the audience.

Despite the fact that there are many inaccuracies and inconsistencies in the film, the film aroused the interest of the public and made them think not only about scientific progress, but also over real opportunity colonization of the planet by earthly inhabitants.

“The Martian” is far from the only film that stirs up the interest of ordinary people. Almost everyone remembers one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's best roles in the film Total Recall; it has become almost a cult favorite. Also, fans of this genre are probably familiar with the NBC mini-series “The Martian Chronicles,” based on the novel by Ray Bradbury in 1980. The sensational “John Carter” and his princess of Mars not so long ago.

All these films create a certain perception and desire to lift the veil of secrecy at least a little and find out what is there on Mars, whether it is possible to live there and how long it takes to fly to it.

Elon Musk and his Tesla

The launch of the Tesla Roadster to Mars took place on February 6, 2018 at 23:45 Moscow time; it was launched into orbit by a Falcon-Heavy rocket from the US spaceport. Despite the fact that the actual flight path will pass by the planet, Elon Musk’s idea was not abandoned and was brought to life.

The company of the American inventor was developing super-heavy rockets designed to deliver large, heavy cargo into space. A cherry-colored Tesla car was chosen as the cargo because Elon thought that loading a rocket for a test flight with standard concrete slabs would be boring. Instead, a bright car with a dummy astronaut at the wheel flew into orbit.

The launch of the first Falcon Heavy rocket was postponed several times and finally took place in early February. As a result, photographs of a convertible with an astronaut behind the wheel appeared online. It was not possible to put the car on the intended course (it was supposed to go to the heliocentric orbit of the Sun, and from there to Mars), the speed with which the car was launched into space turned out to be too high, and as a result the trajectory shifted. Although no one can hear it in space, the car's on-board audio system plays David Bowie's "A Space Odyssey."

This is the first step of the inventor's main task, and he positions the last one as the colonization of Mars. The scientist intends to develop a ballistic vehicle, capable of taking people to the Moon and Mars. According to the inventor's forecasts, he will realize his plans by 2024.

How long to fly to Mars: real facts

It is quite difficult to indicate the exact distance from Earth to Mars. This is due to the fact that the planets constantly revolve around the Sun and the distance between them is constantly changing. On average, to get to the red planet you will need to fly 225 million kilometers. Moreover, the minimum distance between the two planets is 54.6 million kilometers. It is available only in a certain position of the planets, at this moment the Earth is at the point of its orbit as far as possible from the Sun, and Mars, on the contrary, is at the closest.

The only caveat is that this never happens. The minimum was recorded in 2003, when the two planets were at a distance of 56 million kilometers from each other.

So, how long does it take to get to Mars? It depends on each specific situation. Let's look at the answer using specific examples of completed flights.

• The first flight took place in 1964. The American satellite Mariner 4 set off for Mars. The journey to the destination lasted 228 days.
• The next flight was undertaken in 1971, the American satellite Mariner 9 flew. O reached the Red Planet much faster, the journey time was 168 days.
• In 1975, the Viking 1 satellite was sent to Mars. This device is the first to successfully land on the surface of the planet. However, the travel time is 304 days.
• In 2001, Mars Odyssey reached the planet in 200 days. It is still operating in orbit around the planet.
• The fastest device was launched in 2006. Its speed was 58 thousand kilometers per hour, but it was directed towards Pluto. If the planets earth and Mars were as close as possible to each other, then the flight of this satellite would last only 39 days. With a maximum distance of 289 days.

Thus, it is impossible to accurately answer the question of how long it will take to fly to Mars. The duration of the flight depends on the specific position of the planets.

When will the first colonizers fly to Mars?

People have been talking about colonizing the planet for a long time. Scientists suggest that the planet may be quite suitable for life and further settlement. But to confirm their guesses, researchers need to send the first settlers to the planet.

It is worth noting that today the One Mars project envisages a flight to the Red Planet with the goal of establishing the first colony in human history there. Despite the fact that the flight is planned only one way (the astronauts will never return to Earth and will end their lives on a distant planet), more than 200 thousand people submitted an application. Among them, only 1058 were approved, which will be considered in the next stage. As a result, only 4 astronauts are planned to be sent to Mars.

According to scientists' plans, a shuttle with the first people will land on Mars in 2025. But don’t think that everything will happen like in the beloved films about the Red Planet. Here are a few facts that can cool the ardor of people who are worried that they will not be able to take part in the first settlement of the planet.

• The flight time will be 7-8 months, and the settlers will have to spend this time in not the most cozy and comfortable conditions. The lack of amenities and the inability to wash yourself costs a lot.
• The flight will have a strong impact on the psyche of the astronauts. Nowadays, an astronaut spends no more than 6 months in orbit.
• Martian time differs from Earth time, despite the fact that a day on Mars is only 40 minutes longer than on Earth, in total it will be very noticeable.
• After complete adaptation to the gravity of the planet, a person will not be able to return to Earth. Even if return was envisaged, the displaced would not be able to endure it any longer. earth's gravity, which is three times stronger than the Martian one, their bones and muscles atrophied under low pressure conditions.
• Astronauts will have to constantly subject themselves to rigorous physical training to stay in shape. All systems of the human body work completely differently in space and they need regular support.
• In case of illness, no one will help the first settlers. Despite the fact that a set of medications will be provided, this will not protect against possible infections with unknown ailments on an alien planet.
• Astronauts will have to constantly live in thin air.
• The Internet and mobile communications will become unavailable to astronauts. Several sites will be loaded onto the on-board computers, but, alas, you will not be able to fully use the network.

Start a conversation about radiation sandstorms and, in general, the mass of unknown dangers to which the first Martian colonizers may be exposed is not at all worth it. Most importantly, these people will never return to Earth again. But despite this prospect, there are many enthusiasts who are ready to personally find out how long it takes to fly to Mars.

The exploration of Mars began in 1971, when Soviet scientists sent the first research apparatus to the red planet. This attempt ended in failure, as the probe was unable to land on the surface. The following launches turned out to be more successful, and already in 1987 the Viking module successfully landed and later transmitted more than 50,000 priceless photographs to Earth. This moment can be called the starting point of many attempts to study Mars.

How long does it take to fly to Mars?

This question occupies many minds of both scientists and ordinary people. In 2001, NASA chief Daniel Goldin said the mission would last three years, with 10 days spent on the planet's surface. At the same time, he rather optimistically stated that they would be able to visit Mars in 10 years; as time has shown, this flight remained only in plans.

Unlike real scientists, writers are not limited by technical capabilities, but only by their own imagination, so while for some authors such a flight takes years (even longer than calculated by experts), others transfer their heroes from one planet to another in a matter of minutes according to the principle commuter train. Which of them will be closer to the truth will be shown by further developments.

How long does it take for our vehicles to get to Mars?

Not so long ago, the flight of a research probe lasted more than 8 months. Currently, such a journey would take between 150 and 300 days. Such a large spread in time is due to the fact that the duration of the flight will be influenced by many factors: the initial speed, the position of the planets relative to each other, the given trajectory and fuel volumes.

How long will it take future astronauts to get to Mars?

In our country, research was carried out jointly with the creation of a model of a real flight to the red planet. Over 520 days, six volunteers different nationalities lived in a room simulating real ship without being able to get out of it. So scientists checked how the mental state, performance and health of crew members would change after a long stay in a confined space. So future cosmonauts will fly to the red planet for about 240-250 days.

How long is the flight to Mars, according to ordinary people?

Similar surveys are often conducted online, in which everyone tries to speak out. In general, we can say the following: if you weed out those who like to joke, then most people are sure that the flight (one way) will take at least a year or two.

Now let’s return to the question: “Why does humanity strive to visit the surface of another planet?” The answer is quite simple: it’s not even that humanity will be able to better understand the structure of our solar system, perhaps find water or life, and also lay the foundation for subsequent colonization, although all this is also important. Actually people different countries United by one goal, they will temporarily forget about conflicts among themselves.