According to scientists, it was on Mars that there once was a large number of water and 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 research philanthropists and leading projects for the colonization of the planet emerged, and thanks to modern technologies and the development of science, such undertakings became 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 the film contains many inaccuracies and inconsistencies, the film aroused the interest of the public and made them 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 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 form certain perception and the 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 delivering 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. Consider the answer to specific examples 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 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, 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 earthly 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 the return was envisaged, the settlers would no longer be able to withstand Earth's gravity, which is three times stronger than Martian gravity, 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.

It’s not worth starting a conversation about radiation, sandstorms and, in general, a lot of unknown dangers to which the first Martian colonizers may be exposed. 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.

It is the second closest planet to Earth in the Solar System after Venus. Due to its reddish color, the planet received the name of the god of war. Some of the first telescopic observations (D. Cassini, 1666) showed that the rotation period of this planet is close to the Earth’s day: 24 hours 40 minutes. For comparison, the exact rotation period of the Earth is 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds, and for Mars, this value is 24 hours 37 minutes 23 seconds. Improvements in telescopes have made it possible to discover polar caps on Mars and begin systematic mapping of the surface of Mars.

At the end of the 19th century, optical illusions gave rise to the hypothesis of the presence on Mars of an extensive network of channels that were created highly developed civilization. These assumptions coincided with the first spectroscopic observations of Mars, which erroneously assumed lines of oxygen and water vapor earth's atmosphere beyond the lines of the Martian atmosphere.

As a result, the idea of ​​having advanced civilization on Mars. The most striking illustrations of this theory were the fiction novels “War of the Worlds” by G. Wales and “Aelita” by A. Tolstoy. In the first case, the warlike Martians attempted to capture the Earth with the help of a giant cannon, which fired cylinders with landing forces towards the Earth. In the second case, earthlings use a gasoline-powered rocket to travel to Mars. If in the first case an interplanetary flight takes several months, then in the second we are talking about 9-10 hours of flight.

The distance between Mars and Earth varies widely: from 55 to 400 million km. Typically, the planets come together once every 2 years (ordinary oppositions), but due to the fact that the orbit of Mars has a large eccentricity, closer approaches (great oppositions) occur every 15-17 years.

The table clearly shows that the great oppositions differ due to the fact that the Earth’s orbit is not circular. In this regard, the greatest confrontations are highlighted, which occur approximately once every 80 years (for example, in 1640, 1766, 1845, 1924 and 2003). It is interesting to note that the people of the early 21st century witnessed the greatest confrontation in several thousand years. At the time of the 2003 opposition, the distance between Earth and Mars was 1,900 km less than in 1924. On the other hand, it is believed that the confrontation in 2003 was minimal in the last 5 thousand years.

Great oppositions played a big role in the history of Mars exploration, as they made it possible to obtain the most detailed images of Mars, and also simplified interplanetary travel.

By the beginning of the space age, ground-based infrared spectroscopy had significantly reduced the chances of life on Mars: it was determined that the main component of the atmosphere was carbon dioxide, and the oxygen content in the planet’s atmosphere is minimal. In addition, the average temperature on the planet was measured, which turned out to be comparable to the polar regions of the Earth.

First radar of Mars

The 60s of the 20th century were marked by significant progress in the study of Mars, as the space age began, as well as the possibility of radar detection of Mars. In February 1963, in the USSR, using the ADU-1000 (“Pluto”) radar in Crimea, consisting of eight 16-meter antennas, the first successful radar location of Mars was carried out. At this moment, the red planet was 100 million km from Earth. The radar signal was transmitted at a frequency of 700 megahertz, and total time the passage of radio signals from Earth to Mars and back was 11 minutes. The reflection coefficient at the surface of Mars turned out to be less than that of Venus, although at times it reached 15%. This proved that there are smooth horizontal areas on Mars larger than one kilometer in size.

Possible flight trajectories to Mars

Flight in a straight line to Mars is impossible, since the trajectory of any spacecraft will be affected by the gravitational influence of the Sun. Therefore, three trajectory options are possible: elliptical, parabolic and hyperbolic.

Elliptical (Homan) flight trajectory to Mars

The theory of the simplest flight trajectory to Mars (elliptical), which has minimal fuel consumption, was developed in 1925 by the German scientist Walter Hohmann. Although this trajectory was independently proposed by Soviet scientists Vladimir Vetchinkin and Friedrich Zander, the trajectory is now widely known as the Hohmann trajectory.

In fact, this trajectory represents a half segment of an elliptical orbit around , the pericenter (the closest point of the orbit to the Sun) of which is located near the point of departure (planet Earth), and the apocenter (the most distant point of the orbit from the Sun) near the point of arrival (planet Mars). To switch to the simplest Hohmann flight trajectory to Mars, an increase in the speed of the Earth's near-Earth satellite by 2.9 km per second is required (exceeding the second cosmic speed).

The most favorable windows for a flight to Mars from a ballistic point of view occur approximately once every 2 years and 50 days. Depending on the initial flight speed 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. The decrease in interplanetary flight time occurs not only due to an increase in speed, but also a decrease in the arc length of the trajectory ellipse. But at the same time, the speed of meeting the planet Mars increases: from 5.7 to 8.7 km per second, which complicates the flight by the need to safely reduce speed: for example, to enter Martian orbit or to land on the surface of Mars.

Examples of flight duration to Mars along an elliptical trajectory

Over the 60 years of the space age, 50 space missions of automatic probes were sent to Mars (of which 2 devices that used Mars only for gravitational flight - “Down” and “Rosetta”). Only 34 space probes out of this fifty were able to enter the interplanetary flight path to Mars. Duration of flight to Mars for these probes (the most famous failed missions are also included):

  • “Mars-1” - 230 days (loss of communication on the 140th day of flight)
  • “Mariner-4” - 228 days
  • “Zond-2” - 249 days (loss of communication on the 154th day of the flight)
  • Mariner 5 - 156 days
  • “Mariner-6” - 131 days

x) 2x “Mars-69” - 180 days (LV accident)

  • “Mars-2” - 191 days
  • “Mars-3” - 188 days
  • “Mariner-9” - 168 days
  • “Mars-4” - 204 days
  • “Mars-5” - 202 days
  • “Mars-6” - 219 days
  • “Mars-7” - 212 days
  • “Viking-1” - 304 days
  • “Viking-2” - 333 days
  • “Phobos-1” - 257 days (loss of communication on the 57th day of flight)
  • “Phobos-2” - 257 days
  • “Mars Observer” - 333 days (loss of communication on the 330th day of flight)

x) “Mars-96” - 300 days (RB accident)

18) “Mars Pathfinder” - 212 days

19) “Mars Global Server” - 307 days

20) “Nozomi” (1st attempt) - 295 days

20) “Nozomi” (2nd attempt) - 178 days (loss of communication on the 173rd day of the flight)

21) “Mars Clymed Orbiter” - 286 days

22) “Mars Polar Lander” - 335 days

23) “Mars Odyssey 2001” - 200 days

24) “Spirit” - 208 days

25) “Opportunity” - 202 days

26) “Mars Express” - 206 days

27) MRO - 210 days

28) “Phoenix” - 295 days

29) “Curiosity” - 250 days

x) “Mars Phobos Grunt” - 325 days (remained in low-Earth orbit)

30) MAVEN - 308 days

31) MOM - 298 days

32) “ExoMars 2016” - 219 days

As can be seen from this list, the shortest flight to Mars was the flight of the small (412 kg) flyby Mariner 6 in 1969: 131 days. The longest flights were made by the orbital and landing missions “Mars Polar Lander” (335 days), “Mars Observer” and “Viking-2” (333 days each). Obviously, these missions were at the limit of the capabilities of existing missiles. The same long flight (11 months) was supposed to be made by the Russian mission “Mars Phobos Soil” when returning with the Phobos soil to Earth.

Mission "Phobos-Grunt"

The Mars Phobos Ground mission was the first attempt to test a flight to Mars and back. The duration of such a flight was supposed to be 2 years and 10 months. Similar projects were developed in the USSR in the 70s of the 20th century, only they involved the delivery of soil not from the surface of Phobos, but from the surface of Mars. In this regard, they envisaged the use of either a super-heavy N1 rocket or two launches of a heavy Proton launch vehicle.

In addition, one can note the long flights between Earth and Mars, which were made by two probes to study small objects: Dawn (509 days) and Rosetta (723 days).

Conditions for traveling to Mars

The conditions of interplanetary space on the flight path to Mars are among the most studied among the different regions of interplanetary space in the Solar System. Already the first interplanetary flight between Earth and Mars, carried out by the Soviet station “Mars-1“ in 1962-1963, showed the presence meteor showers: The station's micrometeorite detector recorded micrometeorite impacts every 2 minutes at a distance of 20-40 million km from the Earth. Also, measurements from the same station made it possible to measure the intensity of magnetic fields in interplanetary space: 3-9 nanoTesla.

Since there are numerous projects for human flight to Mars, measurements of cosmic radiation in interplanetary space play a special role in such research. To do this, a radiation environment detector (RAD) was installed on board the most advanced Mars rover (“Curiosity”). His measurements showed that even a short interplanetary flight poses a great danger to human health.

An even more interesting experiment to study the influence of the conditions of a long interplanetary flight on living organisms was to take place as part of the failed Russian Mars-Phobos-Grunt mission. Its return vehicle, in addition to soil samples, carried a 100-gram LIFE module containing ten different microorganisms. The experiment was supposed to make it possible to assess the influence of the interplanetary environment during a three-year space flight.

Studying the possibility of human flight to Mars

In parallel with the first attempts to launch automatic probes to Mars since 1960, projects for a manned flight to Mars were being developed in the USSR and the USA with a target for launch in 1971. These projects were distinguished by the mass of the interplanetary spacecraft of hundreds of tons and the presence of a special compartment with high level protection from cosmic radiation, where the crew had to take shelter during solar flares. The power supply for such ships would have to come from nuclear reactors or very large solar panels. In preparation for such flights, ground-based experiments were conducted to isolate people (“Mars-500” and Martian test sites in the Canadian Arctic, Hawaii, etc.) and experiments to create closed biospheres (“BIOS” and “Biosphere-2”) . As can be seen from the name of the “Mars-500” experiment, there is an option to fly to Mars in about 500 days, which is 2 times shorter than with the classical scheme (2-3 years).

As can be seen in comparison with the classical scheme, the time of stay in the Mars system in this case is reduced from 450 to 30 days.

Parabolic flight path to Mars

In the case of a flight to Mars along a parabolic trajectory, starting speed the spacecraft should be equal to the third escape velocity: 16.7 km per second. In this case, the flight between Earth and Mars will be only 70 days. But at the same time, the speed of meeting the planet Mars will increase to 20.9 km per second. The speed of the spacecraft relative to the Sun during parabolic flight will decrease from 42.1 km per second near Earth to 34.1 km per second near Mars.

But at the same time, the energy costs for acceleration and deceleration will increase by approximately 4.3 times compared to flight along an elliptical (Homan) trajectory.

The relevance of such flights is growing due to strong radiation in interplanetary space. Although parabolic flight requires more fuel, on the other hand, it reduces the requirements for radiation protection and the amount of oxygen, water and food supplies for the crew spaceship. Parabolic trajectories are in a very narrow range, so it is much more interesting to consider the wide range of hyperbolic trajectories, during which the spacecraft will move towards Mars with an escape velocity from the Solar System that exceeds the third escape velocity.

Hyperbolic flight trajectory to Mars

Humanity has already mastered the possibility of accelerating spacecraft to hyperbolic speeds. Over the 60 years of the space age, 5 space probes have been launched into interstellar space (“Pioneer 10”, “Pioneer 11”, “Voyager 1”, “Voyager 2” and “New Horizons”). Thus, it took New Horizons only 78 days to fly from Earth to Martian orbit. The recently discovered first interstellar object, “Oumuamua,” has an even greater hyperbolic speed: it flew through the space between Earth and Martian orbit in just 2 weeks.

Currently, projects are being developed for flights to Mars along hyperbolic trajectories. Here, great hopes are placed on electric (ion) rocket engines, whose exhaust speed can reach 100 km per second (for comparison, for chemical engines this figure is limited to 5 km per second). Currently, this area is developing rapidly. Thus, the ion engines of the Dawn probe were able to provide a speed increase of more than 10 kilometers per second, using only half a ton of xenon over 10 years of mission, which is a record for any interplanetary station. The main disadvantage of such engines is the low power caused by the use of low-power energy sources (solar batteries). Thus, it took the European station SMART-1 a whole year to fly from the geotransfer orbit to the Moon. For comparison, conventional lunar stations flew to the Moon in just a few days. In this regard, equipping interplanetary spacecraft with ion engines will be closely related to the development of space nuclear power plants. It is expected that the VASIMR (Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket) engine with a power of 200 megawatts and running on argon will be able to carry out 40-day human flights to Mars. For comparison, Seafulf-class submarines use a 34-megawatt nuclear reactor, and the Gerald Ford-class aircraft carrier has a 300-megawatt nuclear reactor.

Even more attractive prospects in the field of flights to Mars are promised by the X3 engine project, which is theoretically capable of delivering a person to Mars in just 2 weeks. Recently, this engine, developed by scientists at the University of Michigan, the US Air Force and NASA, showed record power (100 kW) and thrust (5.4 newtons). The previous thrust record for an ion engine was 3.3 newtons.

The Moon is a natural satellite of the Earth. Its main influence is mainly expressed in the form of ebb and flow of tides, this is due to the fact that gravity creates two bulges on opposite sides planets. It is also located both close and far from the Earth. How long does it take to fly to the Moon? Scientists had to spend a huge amount of time to calculate the optimal flight trajectories. How you yourself is of great importance aircraft, as well as the type of fuel used, the chosen takeoff and landing technique also has a great influence. As a result, it may take a person from several days to eight hours to reach the surface of the satellite.

Flight nuances

Accurate distance measurement was made possible through the use of laser equipment, but even in more ancient times, the astronomer Hipparchus was able to calculate that the distance from the Earth to the Moon was approximately 380,000 kilometers, being the closest to the truth. It is the distance as well as the location celestial body are the main criteria in calculating flight duration. In search of an optimal solution, scientists have created several theories according to which it is possible to optimize the amount of fuel spent and increase the final landing accuracy.

The Moon's orbit is elliptical, causing the distance between the satellite and the Earth to constantly change. It looks like this:

  • perigee is the closest point when the satellite comes as close as possible to the planet; in the case of the Moon, the distance ranges from 356,400 to 370,400 km;
  • apogee - the opposite point of the orbit, when the Moon, on the contrary, moves most away from the Earth, in this case the distance will be more than 404,000 km;
  • the average distance, or semimajor axis, is 384,999 km.

In order to cover such a “small” distance by the standards of space on an airplane at a speed of 800 km/h, it will take about 20 days. It is known that the Apollo spacecraft could fly to the Moon in just three days, which is already much faster. If we manage to accelerate the device to the second escape velocity (11 km/s), then a person will be able to reach the surface of the satellite in 10 hours.

The most technologically advanced flight to the Moon was the launch of the ESA SMART-1 probe. It took him 410 days to reach the satellite. A revolutionary ion engine for 2003 was used as the power plant, the main advantage of which was fuel efficiency. During the entire journey, the probe spent only 82 kilograms of fuel, securing this method the title of the most economical and at the same time the longest.

It took the Chinese Chang'e-1 satellite five days to reach the Moon's orbit using conventional rocket engines. However, he had to remain in Earth's orbit for some time in order to obtain the correct coordinates of the departure point. This can be considered a very good result, especially considering that this is standard technology.

The fastest manned flight was the Apollo mission. The astronauts set off on Saturn 5 and within three days reached the lunar surface. The expedition included the famous Neil Armstrong. This flight was of great importance for the United States, since the entire national idea was based on it, which required the completion of the task of conquering the Earth’s satellite. Its successful completion marked America's victory over the USSR in the space race.

However, flights can be carried out much faster. The satellite, launched under NASA's New Horizons project related to the exploration of Pluto, managed to cover 380,000 kilometers in just 8 hours and 35 minutes. This became possible due to the fact that from the very beginning the satellite had a strong acceleration of 58,000 km/h; this step was due to the task of overcoming solar gravity, which made it possible to reach the Moon in a time frame more or less acceptable for humans. However, one must take into account the overloads that the body experiences during such a flight, and this, in turn, seriously complicates the whole task, making it a real puzzle for engineers.

Conclusion

However, no obstacles or difficulties could prevent the formation of travel agencies that are capable of sending a person into Space for a weekend. There are only a few such tours, and among them there are both long ones, when ion engines are used, and fast ones, in which case the client will be returned back in just a few days. However, it should be taken into account what funds are allocated to carry out at least one flight. At the moment, space is too expensive even for states, so it’s not worth talking about ordinary, even relatively rich people.

Development modern technologies is moving at a very fast pace. Soon humanity will be able to begin colonization and construction of long-term bases on nearby space objects. However, the question “How long does it take to fly to the moon?” will be open due to the emergence of new, more efficient vehicles, as well as better fuel, which will provide much more energy, which will significantly increase the speed of current spacecraft.

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How long does it take to get to Mars? This question caught my attention while watching another documentary film O solar system and about a future expedition to Mars. When (I really hope not if) it takes place, it will be a giant leap for humanity and the beginning of a real space age. I tried to find the most interesting information on this topic and this is what I came up with...

How far is Mars from Earth? How long does it take to get to Mars? In our article we will try to find out: How many kilometers from Mars to Earth? How long does it take to fly to Mars?

To determine how long it will take to fly to Mars, we need to identify a number of factors: first, determine the current position of the planets, gradually moving to the use of high-tech devices necessary for the flight.

How far is Mars from Earth? How many kilometers will you have to cover? As is known from initial course In physics, to determine the time of movement between objects, you need to know the distance between them. In our case, the objects are planets. Mars is one of the so-called “terrestrial” planets; in terms of proximity to the Sun, Mars is in fourth place. But Mars is second in proximity to Earth; Venus has overtaken it.

Since the Sun holds the planets at different distances (orbits), the distance between Mars and Earth changes.
In 2003, the distance was 55 million km. At this time, the Hubble Space Telescope took the picture.
Theoretically, the maximum approach of Mars to the Earth is possible if certain conditions are met: Mars is at the Perihelion orbital point, and the Earth is at the Aphelion point. In this case, the distance would be 54.6 million km (33.9 million miles).
Unfortunately, humanity has not yet been lucky enough to witness such an arrangement of planets.

As mentioned in our article earlier, the closest planet Mars and planet Earth were in 2003. The maximum distance between planets is possible when the planets are on sides opposite to the sun. At this location, the interplanetary distance will be 401 million km. The average distance is 225 million km.

From the same basic physics course, we know that the speed of light is approximately 186 thousand miles per second. or 299 thousand km/sec.
That is:

  • if Mars and Earth are as close to each other as possible, the rays, reflected from Mars, will hit Earth in 3 minutes;
  • if the planets are at the midpoint of approach - about 13 minutes;
  • if the planets are as distant as possible - 22 minutes.

A very interesting film about a future flight to Mars (I wanted to watch it quickly, but I sat through the entire film):

On January 19, 2006, the fastest automatic space station, New Horizons, was launched. Its speed is 16.26 km/s. The interplanetary spacecraft's mission was to study Pluto.
Having sent the New Horizons interplanetary spacecraft to Mars at the same speed, it will reach its destination:

  • At the shortest distance - in 39 days.
  • At the midpoint of remoteness - in 162 days.
  • At the greatest distance - 289 days.

All distance calculations above are approximate, as they were carried out in a straight line. In fact, the ship will cover a greater distance, since the planets do not stand in one place, their movement is due to rotation around the Sun.
To send rockets to Mars, scientists need to calculate the movement of interplanetary stations and the location of the planet at the moment the satellite approaches.

If you want to determine the most convenient date for your next flight to Mars, use a 3D model of the Solar System.

Below is a short list of interplanetary stations and travel times to the red planet

  1. Mariner 4 is the first spacecraft to explore Mars from its flyby trajectory in 1964. The journey was 228 days;
  2. “Mariner-6” and “Mariner-7” -1969, the first arrived in 155 days, the second in 128 days.
  3. "Mariner - 9" artificial satellite Mars in 1971 the first to map Mars - arrived in 168 days.
  4. “Viking-1” in 1976 - in 304 days it flew, landed, took pictures, studied the atmosphere and soil, and transmitted information to Earth;
  5. “Viking 2” -1975 - search for life, the journey took 333 days.
  6. “Mars Global Surveyor” - 1996 - artificial satellite of Mars - 308 days.
  7. “Mars Pathfinder” - 1997 - first Mars rover - 212 days.
  8. “Mars Express” (satellite, operating in orbit around Mars since December 25, 2003) - 201 days.
  9. “Martian Reconnaissance” - reconnaissance satellite (2006) - 210 days.
  10. "Maven" tenth satellite (09/22/2014) - explores the atmosphere - was on its way to Mars for 307 days.

If you want to fly to Mars and how long to fly to Mars, you already know, but perhaps something else is unknown, so it would not be a bad idea to familiarize yourself with some more facts:
The Mars One project plans to send earthlings to Mars with subsequent colonization of its surface. Whether this flight will be a one-way ticket, we will try to figure it out.

In 2013, out of 202 thousand applicants, the Mars One company selected 1058 potential astronauts in the first round, of which 705 remained in the second round, and 660 people in the third. As a result, by the end of the qualifying race there will be 6 groups of 4 people. By 2025, the first group of astronauts will land on Mars, subsequent groups will be sent into the Launch Window, which opens every 2 years, in the Homan-Vetchinkin orbit.

About the Mars One project in the video:


So, let's look at what you need to know if you want to move to Mars.

How long does it take to fly to Mars? How fast and rainbow will the flight be?

The Mars One Corporation claims that it knows how long it takes to fly to Mars and this period for those whom the lights choose will be 7-8 months. All this time, the astronauts will be practically without amenities and in a cramped, confined space. But, if you are not annoyed by the constant hum of fans, computers and life systems, and you think that washing is a useless exercise, then you can enjoy the oppressive blackness on the other side of the porthole to your heart’s content. In addition to this idyll, if you are caught by a solar storm, you will have to hide in a space much smaller than 20 square meters. meters (living area).

Will the psyche cope?

Roscosmos together with Russian Academy Sciences from 2007 to 2011 carried out the Mars-500 project, in which a team of volunteers was in isolation for 520 days. Despite the fact that the participants in the experiment could leave the project at any time, some still experienced a nervous breakdown. What will happen in real conditions?

Will your body survive?

Astronauts currently stay on the ISS for no longer than 6 months, since muscles and bones atrophy and lose mass under the influence of microgravity. What will happen to the astronauts flying to Mars, since the flight lasts more than 200 days?

How do you like a day and a year on the Red Planet?

If you don’t have time to do everything you planned on Earth, then on Mars you will have the opportunity. A day on Mars lasts 40 minutes longer, and a year is 687 days, which, of course, many will see as an advantage, since in comparison with Earth, youth will last twice as long.

Will you return home?

Let's remember the expedition to the Moon, the Apollo astronauts said that as they moved away from the earth they experienced increasing excitement and anxiety. This state can be described with the phrase: “It’s like all the joy has been sucked out.”

Dreams of gravity

Yes, gravity is an exciting thing, I can imagine how the donuts dream of fluttering like fluff, driven by the wind. On Mars this is almost real, since gravity is two-thirds less than Earth's. There is only one “but”, while you get used to the Martian gravity, muscle and bone tissue will atrophy, and returning to native land will become physical torture.

If you want children, stay on Earth

The Mars One organization strongly recommends not having children on Mars for now. Firstly, nurseries and kindergartens have not yet been built, and secondly, pediatricians have not been brought in. But seriously, while scientists do not know whether an attempt to conceive a child in Martian conditions will be possible, and if it is possible, then how successful it will be remains a mystery. Conception, gestation and childbirth are not the most harmless activities on Earth, let alone on Mars.

Fanatic athlete? Mars is for you!

In space conditions, taking time off from sports is practically a death sentence for your body. All human body It doesn't work like it does on Earth. Muscle and bone mass atrophies very quickly; you need to constantly keep yourself in shape. 60 minutes in the gym on the ground will seem like children's classics. Future Martians will have to work on their bodies for at least 2 hours (tested by ISS astronauts)

Fly to Mars - don't you dare get sick!

Don’t be alarmed, of course, they will give you a first aid kit with you, perhaps even better than on a hike. It will definitely contain a bandage, antiseptic, antibiotic and much more, but what will happen to you if your teammates don’t figure out what’s throwing you all over the spacecraft?

I am glad that before departure all equipment is disinfected so that you do not populate space with earthly viruses and bacteria. And you heard well when the doctors said that if you pick up an infection on Mars, they won’t let you go home, since there is no point in bringing an unstudied, alien disease into the house, we have enough studied earthly ones.

Gourmets, think about it

I wonder how much pizzerias and sushi bars will charge to deliver pizza to Mars? What about paella from your favorite restaurant or fabado? Very simple - forget it. You will take vegetable seeds with you and eat what you can grow on Mars.

Fresh air is good for your health

This is also not about Mars. 96% of the atmosphere on Mars is CO2 (carbon dioxide) with tiny traces of oxygen. And storms that last for hours with probably toxic sand cannot be called healthy at all. There’s no way you can’t take a walk on a quiet Martian evening before going to bed without a rather boring spacesuit.

How do you like life without the Internet?

SMS messages from Mars will arrive with a delay of 6 minutes, there’s nothing to talk about phones, the delay will take almost half an hour, who can handle such a conversation? The story with the Internet is just as sad. The sites will only be those that you have time to ask to download before the flight, but you won’t be able to surf the web.

Radiation

Another unpleasant surprise prepared by the Red Planet. Due to the lack magnetic field, each time you go to the surface, you will be exposed to enormous amounts of radioactive radiation.
In general, the outlook is not rosy. Even if you miraculously don’t get sick on Mars or are cured in an amazing way, you will still be lonely, far from your loved ones.

But such is the fate of all pioneers and their name will be written in the history of planet Earth and no matter how long it takes to fly to Mars, they will be remembered for centuries and legends will be made. Whether it is worth it or not is up to everyone who wants and is able to fly, although the selected 660 volunteers seem to have already made their choice.