We explore how Long Does It Take to Get to Mars and the factors that affect a journey to the Red Planet. Have you ever wondered how long it takes to get to Mars? The answer depends on a few factors, including the positions of Earth and Mars and the technology used for the journey. According to NASA, a one-way trip to Mars would take about nine months. If you plan to return, the entire journey would last around 21 months. This includes spending about three months on Mars to wait for the right alignment of Earth and Mars for the return trip.
To understand how long the trip to Mars might take, we first need to consider the distance between Earth and Mars.
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and the second closest to Earth (Venus is the closest). However, the distance between Earth and Mars changes as both planets orbit the sun.
In theory, the closest Earth and Mars can get to each other is when Mars is at its closest point to the sun (perihelion) and Earth is at its farthest point (aphelion). At this distance, they could be as close as 33.9 million miles (54.6 million kilometers) apart. But this has never happened in recorded history. The closest recorded approach was in 2003, when the two planets were 34.8 million miles (56 million kilometers) apart.
When Earth and Mars are on opposite sides of the sun, they are at their farthest distance from each other. At this point, they can be up to 250 million miles (401 million kilometers) apart.
On average, Earth and Mars are about 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) away from each other.
How long would it take to travel to Mars at the speed of light?
Light travels at about 186,282 miles per second (299,792 kilometers per second). Given this speed, here’s how long it would take for light from Mars to reach Earth (or the other way around):
- At the closest possible approach: 182 seconds, or about 3.03 minutes
- At the closest recorded approach: 187 seconds, or about 3.11 minutes
- At the farthest distance: 1,342 seconds, or approximately 22.4 minutes
- On average: 751 seconds, or just over 12.5 minutes
How long does it take to get to Mars & what affects the travel time?
The time required to travel between celestial bodies mainly depends on the amount of energy used. This “energy” involves the efforts of the launch vehicle, the maneuvers of the rocket motors, and the amount of propellant consumed. In space travel, managing energy efficiently is crucial.
For moon missions, there are common transfer methods: the Hohmann Transfer and the Free Return Transfer. The Hohmann Transfer is known for its low energy requirement but is typically suited for transfers lasting just a few days and under specific launch conditions. The details can become quite complex, so we’ll keep it simple here.
Mars missions involve more complex interplanetary transfers, meaning the orbits are around the sun rather than just between Earth and Mars. Mars’ orbit is more eccentric and tilted compared to Earth’s, and it takes Mars longer to orbit the sun. These factors are considered in a tool called a “pork chop plot,” which helps determine the optimal dates for departure and arrival, as well as the energy required for the trip.
The “pork chop plot” indicates that optimal windows for Mars transfers occur approximately every 25-26 months. These transfers generally fall into two categories: faster ones that take around 5-8 months and slower ones that take about 7-11 months. The slower transfers are often more energy-efficient. As a rough guideline, a Mars trip usually takes about 9 months, similar to human gestation. However, precise calculations are needed for specific missions.
