The distance from Earth to Mars is light years. How much light flies to Mars from the earth and the sun. When is it easier to launch a spacecraft to Mars?

> > > How much to fly to Mars

Find out, how long does it take to fly to mars: description of rotation in orbit, distance from the Earth, history of spacecraft launches, research, new methods with photos.

The red planet can be easily found without the use of instruments. In the eyepiece of a telescope, it resembles a red star. With a break of two years, Mars and Earth are as close as possible. At this time, the distance from Earth to Mars is 55,000,000 km. It is this moment that scientists use to send a spacecraft to Mars. But the question arises: how long is it to fly to mars?

When taking into account alignment, launch speed and route, a flight to Mars takes from 150 to 300 days. The amount of fuel consumed also affects: the more, the higher the speed.

How many missions flew to Mars

Mariner 4 landed on Mars for the first time in 1964. It took him 228 days to fly to Mars. Then Mariner 6 set off, but it has already spent 156 days, and the trip of Mariner 7 took 131 days in total.

The next spacecraft took 167 days to reach Mars and became the first orbiter on the Red Planet.

List of other spacecraft that have reached Mars. It also lists the number of days it took them to get to Mars:

Viking 1 (1976) - 335 days.
Viking 2 (1976) - 360 days.
MRO (2006) - 210 days.
Phoenix (2008) - 295 days.
Curiosity (2012) - 253 days.

Why does it take so long to fly to Mars

What is the minimum time to fly to mars? With such a distance and a speed of movement of 20,000 km / h, calculations show a duration of 115 days. But the fact is that in practice this number increases, because the planets make revolutions around the Sun. It is impossible to send a spacecraft to where Mars is now located, because at the time of arrival the planet will already change its position. Therefore, you have to focus on the future location.

An important point is the fuel supply. If it were infinite, then the flight time could be significantly reduced. But we do not have such resources.

Minimum fuel use for a flight to Mars

To save on missions, some vehicles try to use the minimum amount of fuel. To do this, use the orbit proposed by Walter Hohmann in 1925.

Instead of heading for the planet, you make the ship's orbital path outperform Earth's around the star. As a result, we will reach the point where Mars will be established.

Alternative ways to fly to Mars

Now we have to wait to send the ships. But when a man appears on Mars, then any delays will lead to disaster. Outer space is a dangerous place. Special troubles come from background cosmic radiation, which can create large-scale solar storms for several hours. Therefore, it is important to reduce travel time.

Nuclear launches

Nuclear missiles operate on the principle of heating the working fluid in a nuclear reactor. Then it explodes in the nozzle at high speed to form thrust. Such fuel accumulates a huge energy reserve, so you can develop high speed and reduce the trip to 7 months.

Magneto-plasma rockets

This is a variable specific impulse technology. Here is an EM engine that uses radio waves to ionize and heat the propellant. In this case, a plasma is formed, which is pushed out at high acceleration. This would result in a flight of 5 months.

antimatter

The concept of antimatter rockets is currently being developed. This is the most dense fuel. When particles of matter meet with matter, they are transformed into pure energy. On 10 milligrams of such fuel, you can get to the Red Planet in 45 days. True, the creation will take $ 250 million.

Future missions

We do not yet know what scientists will focus on for launches in the 2030s. Perhaps they will focus not on speed, but on safety. But space discoveries happen suddenly, so we have a chance to find alternatives.

After the launch of the Mars One program, many people began to dream of flying into space, when science fiction would finally come into our lives, and it would be possible to realize in reality what was written in books a few decades ago. But everyone understands that it is not so easy to fly to Mars.

The first step is to calculate the flight time. Since the Earth and Mars rotate in their orbits at different speeds, the moment of their closest approach or opposition occurs quite rarely - once every 26 months. During such periods, the distance between the planets is "only" 55 million kilometers.

When the ship is moving at the second cosmic velocity (11.2 km/s), taking into account the reservations for achieving such a velocity, let's try to estimate how long it will take to fly to Mars. So, the estimated flight time will be 7 months or about 210 days. This is a very approximate figure, because we do not take into account many factors. But such a period and a huge distance are far from the only problem of space travel to the red planet.

The project is a multi-level program, where it is not enough just to enroll in it and find yourself on an interesting adventure. You should start with the fact that not everyone who wants to get into this adventure will fall. And the adventure itself can be called fun with a very big stretch. No one has yet built colonies on another planet, so it is unlikely to be easy.

It is also worth noting that the Mars One project is private, and, therefore, its initiators initially think about profit. Therefore, everything that happens on Mars will be broadcast on television and, in principle, will not differ much from Dom-2. The only difference is that this house will be located 55 million kilometers from the Earth, and there will be a slightly different contingent as participants.

Candidates will undergo mandatory training before departure. Two will be made excellent engineers capable of fixing anything on the station, two will be doctors, one will become a geologist, and one will search for extraterrestrial life. And everyone will get basic skills in terms of basic specialties. From the outside, of course, it resembles a game from the UFO line, only this will happen in reality.

The well-known American company Lockheed Martin, which has already developed a lander for NASA that successfully landed on Mars in 2008, is responsible for the technical part of the project. For the current mission, a significant processing of the device will be required. First of all, due to the fact that more energy will be needed for its implementation, which means that solar panels will take on a new shape and size.

Despite the fact that, due to the vast distance, communication with the Earth will not be an easy task, its colonists will still be provided. The signal delay will be from 3 to 22 minutes, depending on the distance of the planets from each other. But the Internet will be there. Although you will have to constantly preload updates. Or invent a means of communication with an information transfer rate greater than the speed of light.

More than 200,000 people expressed their desire to fly to Mars. However, the competition there is very tough, and no more than twenty will go on a flight. About a quarter of the candidates are Americans. Russians account for four percent. Based on these data, there is a chance that a Russian apple tree will be planted on Mars and the old lines “And apple trees will bloom on Mars” will make sense.

As it usually happens, preparing for something global and large-scale takes much more time than the direct implementation of the plan. Mars is no exception. Preparations for the landing of people will take many years, and the first people will appear there only in 2025. The distance to Mars at the most favorable time is 55 million kilometers, which will take about 200 days. Fly, knowing that you will never return back.

The Mars One project intends to send the first people to Mars in order to establish the first colony there.

However, this flight will be one way, and no one will return.

More 200,000 people applied for a flight to Mars, and the first 1,058 people were selected to advance to the next stage. A group of the first 4 selected people will land on the Red Planet already in 2025, but every two years they will be joined by the next group of marsonauts.

Here are a few facts that everyone who wants to leave planet Earth for good and go to Mars needs to know.

How long is the flight to Mars?

1. It will be a very long and sad flight.

Mars One said the flight would take 7 to 8 months (minimum 210 days), depending on the relative position of Earth and Mars.

The astronauts will spend all this time in a very cramped space (about 20 square meters each), devoid of many amenities. They will not be able to wash themselves, will eat canned food and hear constant noise from fans, computers and life support systems. In the event of a solar storm, they will have to take shelter in an even narrower space for protection.

2. This will be a test for the psyche

When Russia conducted the Mars 500 project, where six volunteers were in a confined space for 520 days, it turned out that four of them had problems sleeping or developed depression during the mission.

One crew member developed chronic sleep deprivation, which affected his concentration and attention.

Flight to Mars

3. People have never been in space for so long

At the moment, astronauts spend no more than six months on the International Space Station. This is due to how microgravity affects the human body, including the loss of bone and muscle tissue. It is worth remembering that a flight to Mars will take at least 200 days, which is more than six months.

Time on Mars and year on Mars

4. It will be difficult to get used to Martian time.

A day on Mars is 40 minutes longer than on Earth. Although this may not seem like such a big difference, for us who are used to living on a 24-hour cycle, it will become quite noticeable.

At the same time, a year on Mars lasts 687 days, which means that those who will live on the Red Planet will be almost twice as young as earthlings.

One way flight to Mars

5. You will never see Earth again.

When the Apollo astronauts went to the Moon, they spoke of feeling confused and frustrated as they got further and further away from Earth. However, compared to Mars, the Moon is not that far away.

Gravity on Mars

6. Once you get used to the gravity on Mars, you won't be able to return to Earth.

Gravity on Mars is one-third of Earth's. So if your weight was 100 kg, then on Mars you would weigh 38 kg. Human bones and muscles atrophy, and after some time it will be difficult for a person to get used to earthly conditions.

Astronauts returning to Earth face the same situation.

People on Mars

7. The first settlers on Mars will not be able to have children.

Mission Organizers Mars One advise the first settlers not to attempt to conceive children. First, the colonies on Mars will not be suitable for children at first. Second, little is yet known about the ability of humans to conceive in reduced gravity and whether the fetus can develop normally in such conditions.

8. You will need to constantly keep yourself in shape.

If you don't like exercise, then flying to Mars is not for you. Bones, muscles, heart and lungs work differently in space. Astronauts on the ISS train for two hours a day to keep fit.

Life conditions on Mars

9. In case of illness, you will be at a distance of 362 million km from the Earth

Although astronauts will have the necessary funds to treat common injuries and illnesses, certain diseases will be difficult or almost impossible to treat.

10. You can always get infected with something unknown on Mars

Before every mission to Mars, scientists make every effort to disinfect the rovers so that bacteria from Earth do not get to Mars.

However, if astronauts on Mars are infected, earthlings are unlikely to take them back (if it were possible), as this could lead to the spread of an unknown extraterrestrial epidemic.

11. You won't try your favorite foods anymore.

The organizers plan that the colonizers will grow vegetables on Mars. Since the amount of food brought from Earth will be limited, they will mainly eat what they grow, such as spinach, lettuce and soybeans.

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

On this basis, various philanthropists-researchers leading projects for the colonization of the planet appeared, and thanks to modern technology and the development of science, such undertakings became possible. Movies based on research appear, and Internet users are increasingly asking the question of how much to fly to Mars. Let's talk about this in more detail.

Interest in space exploration on the part of scientists is quite understandable and understandable. But how is it formed among ordinary people? It's even simpler here. Let's take cinema for example. In 2015, The Martian, based on the novel of the same name by Andry 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 remains 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 is a feat of many romantics to think about the questions of how long it takes to fly to Mars and whether life is possible on it. The astronaut, who by all means must survive on an alien planet and wait for the return of the expedition (and according to the creators' plan, this takes almost four years) attracts the attention of the audience.

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

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

All these films form a certain perception and desire to at least slightly lift the veil of secrecy and find out what is there, on Mars, is it possible to live there and how long 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 real flight path will pass by the planet, Elon Musk's idea was not abandoned and came true.

The company of an American inventor developed super-heavy rockets designed to deliver large heavy loads into space. The cherry-colored Tesla car was chosen as the payload, as Elon felt that loading the rocket for a test flight with standard concrete slabs for the occasion would be boring. Instead, a bright car with a mannequin of an 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, photos of a convertible with an astronaut at the wheel appeared on the network. It was not possible to bring the car to the intended course (it had 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, as a result, the trajectory of movement shifted. Even though no one in space can hear it, the car's on-board audio system plays David Bowie's A Space Odyssey.

This is the first step of the main task of the inventor, and he positions the last one as the colonization of Mars. The scientist intends to develop a ballistic vehicle capable of delivering people to the Moon and Mars. According to the forecasts of the inventor, 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 are constantly revolving around the Sun and the distance between them is constantly changing. On average, to get to the red planet, you need to fly 225 million kilometers. At the same time, 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 most distant point of the orbit 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 is the flight to Mars? It depends on each specific situation. Consider the answer on specific examples of completed flights.

The first flight took place in 1964. The American satellite "Mariner-4" went to 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, travel time - 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. He is still working 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. At the maximum distance - 289 days.

Thus, it will not be possible to accurately answer the question of how long 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 in order to confirm their guesses, researchers need to send the first settlers to the planet.

It is worth noting that even today the One Mars project provides for a flight to the Red Planet in order to establish the first colony in the history of mankind there. Despite the fact that the flight is planned only one way (astronauts will never return to Earth and end their lives on a distant planet), more than 200 thousand people applied. Among them, only 1058 were approved, which will be considered in the next stage. As a result, it is planned to send only 4 astronauts to Mars.

According to the plans of scientists, the shuttle with the first people will land on Mars in 2025. But do not think that everything will happen like in the films about the Red Planet that everyone loves. 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 not in the most cozy and comfortable conditions. One lack of amenities and the inability to wash is worth a lot.
The flight will have a strong impact on the psyche of the astronauts. Now 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 Earth time, in total it will be very noticeable.
After fully adapting to the gravity of the planet, a person will not be able to return to Earth. Even if the return was envisaged, the settlers would no longer be able to withstand the Earth's gravity, which is three times stronger than the Martian, their bones and muscles atrophied under low pressure conditions.
Astronauts will have to constantly subject themselves to serious physical training in order to stay in shape. All systems of the human body work in space in a completely different way and they need regular support.
In case of illness, no one will help the first settlers. Although a medical kit will be provided, it will not protect against possible infections from unknown ailments on an alien planet.
Astronauts will have to constantly live in conditions of rarefied air.
The Internet and mobile communications will become inaccessible to astronauts. Several sites will be downloaded to on-board computers, but, alas, it will not work to fully use the network.

Starting a conversation about radiation, sandstorms and, in general, the mass of unknown dangers that the first Martian colonizers may be exposed to 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 much to fly to Mars.

Mars has always attracted the attention of scientists, science fiction writers and ordinary people. The proximity to the Earth of this planet allows it to be considered as the nearest target in future interplanetary travels.

How many hours, days, months does a person fly to Mars?

Let's imagine that we will go on a flight to Mars, timing the departure so that we need to overcome the minimum distance. In this case, a vehicle flying at the same speed as the Saturn-V will reach its destination in about 870 hours or 36 earth days.

And now imagine that we didn’t like it on Mars and we want to go home, then it’s better for us to return as soon as possible. With each month, the period for the return trip will increase. In 2027, on the way back to Earth, we will need already 258 days (8.6 months). Although there is an option to wait until 2035 and fly the short route again in 36 days.

How much to fly at the speed of light?

Light from Mars reaches Earth within 3 minutes when the planets are closest to each other. That is how long it would take a human to reach this planet in a spaceship moving at the speed of light.

Why does the time it takes to fly to Mars keep changing?

The first spacecraft to fly to Mars was Mariner 4 in 1964. He did it in 228 days. After that, several more ships were launched, and each time the flight time differed from each other up or down. If we take into account that the speed of a modern spacecraft is 20,000 km / h, then we can calculate that the flight on it will take 115 days. But then it is not clear why in practice all the ships sent there get much longer.

More recently, the flight of a research probe was more than 8 months. With the current development of technology, a trip to Mars can take from 150 to 300 days.

This variation is due to the influence of a number of factors on the route travel time:

starting speed;
the positions of the planets relative to each other;
the planned flight path;
amount of fuel.

Everything explains the movement of the planets in their orbit around the Sun. Therefore it is impossible to make a direct rocket launch. After all, by the time it reaches Mars, it will already have time to move far in its orbit. Therefore, in order to accurately calculate how long it takes to fly, it is necessary to calculate ahead of schedule. That is, theoretically, it is necessary to calculate the place where Mars will move during the flight of the rocket, and that is where it should be sent.

The second very important problem is the amount of fuel consumed. Today, it is he who is a priority for space engineers. Ships today are launched along a trajectory that maximizes fuel economy.

How many kilometers to Mars?

Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and the second relative to the earth's orbit. Since the Sun holds all the planets in different orbits, the distance to Mars from the Earth is constantly changing. When the picture was first taken with the Hubble telescope, this distance was 55 million km. At this distance, the planets are once a year, it is at this time that reconnaissance stations are sent there. Scientists have calculated that if Mars is at a certain point in the orbit, called Perihelion, and the Earth at Aphelion, the distance between them will be 54.6 million km. However, mankind has not yet observed such an arrangement of planets.

How long does it take for a man to fly to Mars?

Many specialists in various countries are working on this task today. To solve it, a completely new type of fuel will be required. And besides, something must be done with the human susceptibility to various types of cosmic radiation. It accumulates in almost all parts of his body and is not excreted later until the end of his life. If the astronaut's body is not protected from radiation, then he will not be able to survive in space for even two hours.

Therefore, it is so important to solve the problem of how much to fly on a rocket. As time decreases, the risk of cosmic exposure will be minimized, and fewer supplies will be needed for astronauts to live.

In order to return home from Mars, astronauts will have to wait for the next confrontation. And this takes quite a lot of time. According to the latest estimates, it can reach up to 16 months. At the same time, it should be taken into account that after the confrontation, the Earth will rapidly run forward, since it has a higher orbital speed. Therefore, after three months, the planets are so far apart from each other that astronauts will not be able to return to earth.

Scientists have calculated that in order to make it possible to fly from Earth to Mars, spacecraft must develop a speed of 18 km / s. And to reduce the cost of the mission, send interplanetary spacecraft from the Moon. Therefore, for a successful flight time, it is important to calculate the time of the optimal distance from the Moon to Mars.

In the meantime, with the current level of development of space science, such an expedition to Mars can take about two years. And so flights to this mysterious planet remain a matter of the future. It remains for us to believe and wait for new technologies to be at the disposal of man, which will make it possible to build super-fast Martian ships using super-economical fuel.