How much to fly from Earth to Mars we will understand in this article. On April 12, 1961, a man for the first time left his native planet and flew into space.

It was the world-famous USSR cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. Since then, a considerable part of the intellectual resource of civilization has been directed to the study of extraterrestrial space.

There has already been a flight to the Moon, but not yet to Mars, although the world scientific community is already actively discussing this topic. For example, the CEO and part-time chief engineer of SpaceX, Elon Musk, plans to make the first flight to one of the closest (after Venus) neighbors of the Earth within 3-5 years.

In addition, according to the calculations of the same Musk, in about 20 years it will be possible to get to Mars in 80 days. However, in the current realities, it will most likely take a little more time.

Distance

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun after Mercury, Venus and Earth.

It may take one amount of time to get to Mars today, but another amount to get to Mars tomorrow.

The fact is that the distance between the planets is not a fixed value. The distance changes due to the movement of the planets in their orbits. The planets are farthest from each other when they are on opposite sides of their paths.

Under such circumstances, Mars would be more than 400 million kilometers from our planet. The minimum theoretical distance is about 54 million kilometers, but it has never been recorded.

In 2003, the Hubble Space Telescope, placed in orbit around the earth, recorded a distance of 56 million kilometers between Earth and Mars.

Required time

The speed of light reaches almost 300 thousand kilometers per second. Therefore, light from Earth to Mars will get in:

• in the case of the minimum distance - 3.03 minutes;
• in the case of an average distance - 12.52 minutes;
• in the case of the maximum distance - 22.37 minutes.

The most powerful spacecraft in the world this moment considered "New Horizons", owned by NASA. It is capable of speeds up to 58,000 km/h, which is more than 18,000 times slower than the speed of light.

Given the real power of New Horizons, we can calculate the amount of time it will take for it to get from Earth to the fourth planet from the Sun:

• in the case of a minimum distance - a little more than 39 days;
• in the case of an average distance - 162 days;
• in the case of the maximum distance - a little more than 289 days.

It is important to know: it is worth considering the fact that the calculations are made from the condition of movement in a straight line from one planet to another. Therefore, time data may differ slightly when planning a real flight.

Over the past few decades, the space industry has slowed down in its development.

After all, after landing on the moon on July 16, 1969, there were no more such resonant events related to space.

In the 21st century, greater leaps have been made in other areas, such as the development of consumer electronics and communications networks.

This course of history does not suit NASA and SpaceX, who are trying to catch up and actively develop the space industry. Some even plan to turn Mars into a colony, but this may not happen earlier than in 100 years.

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 question of the presence of living microorganisms on Mars in the present or past has long been exciting the minds of both world scientists and scientists. ordinary people. After all, the discovery of signs of life outside globe will become the greatest sensation of world science.

Mars is called the "Red Planet"

Mars was first discovered long before the advent of the first telescope, three and a half thousand years ago, but in fact, a detailed study of the planet began in 1971, when spacecraft sent to Mars began to provide humanity with new details about the state of the planet. Most of the information is transmitted in the form of photographs. They were first made in 1987, which is why 1987 is considered the starting year in a detailed study of the surface of Mars.

Where is Mars

The red planet is the seventh largest planet in the solar system and the fourth farthest from the sun. Neighbor planets are Earth and Jupiter. The distance to the latter is on average determined from 486,000,000 to 612,000,000 km. And the distance between Earth and Mars changes periodically. The shortest equates to 55,000,000 km, the longest distance to 400,000,000 km. The explanation is the non-synchronous circulation of the planets around the Sun and the presence of different orbits. When the distance is reduced to a minimum, the rays of the Sun reflected from Mars reach the Earth's surface in 3 minutes (taking into account the speed of light, equal to 299,792 kilometers per second). Scientists have determined the frequency of the convergence of the planets - it is 16-17 light years.

Mars also differs from other planets in characteristics related to its relative location. The planets revolve around the Sun clockwise, Mars revolves in the opposite direction - clockwise. A day on Earth and Mars is identical when rounded off, a day on Mars is 24 hours 39.5 minutes. But the length of the year on the planets is very different. On Mars, it equates to 687 Earth days, almost 2 times longer than a year on Earth.

Another feature of Mars is that, despite belonging to the "terrestrial group", the movement of the planet takes place in an orbit that is not characteristic of terrestrial planets.

Mars is one of the few planets with moons. There are two of them - Phobos and Deimos. The nature of these bodies has not yet been studied, but scientists have found that Phobos, which is closer to Mars, is slowly moving towards it. According to forecasts, in 10,000,000 years it will fall to the Red Planet.

How long does it take to fly from Earth to the planet Mars

As of 2017, a complete journey to Mars will take between 150 and 300 days. For an accurate calculation, additional factors are needed: the planned flight speed, the location of the planets during this period, but most importantly, the amount of fuel. With the maximum amount of fuel, the flight time will theoretically be reduced significantly.

It is known that spacecraft reach speeds of over 20,000 km/h. With a minimum distance from Earth to Mars, which is equal to 55,000,0000 km, you can mathematically calculate the flight in days and it will be 115 days. Why do scientists insist on other indicators?

The fact is that the flight trajectory is built ahead of the curve, since both the Earth and Mars revolve around the Sun. Therefore, if you launch a spacecraft directly to Mars, by the time it arrives, the planet will already have different location coordinates. Therefore, in practice, a flight to the Red Planet takes on average twice as long.

Mariner 4 is the first to land on Mars

Of course, scientists are striving to find a solution to reduce flight time. Various innovations are considered, for example, the use of nuclear and magnetic-plasma rockets and others.

By the way, spaceships have already landed on Mars more than once. In 1964, Mariner 4 was the first to land on Mars with a flight time of 228 days. Later, other improved ships also made successful flights, reducing the time period to 131 days. Such expeditions are still being made, each time providing more and more new information about the planet Mars.

It has long been established that Mars and Earth are similar planets. This fact, more than anything else, attracts attention to the Red Planet, especially since every year new facts appear that reveal the similarity of the structure of Mars with the Earth's structure. Here are some of them:

• Traces of water have been found on the Red Planet, which existed there many millions of years ago. The basis for this conclusion was the obtained photos, where the dried up riverbeds and river valleys are clearly visible.
• On Mars, there is frozen water in the form of ice blocks. They can be the habitat of microorganisms, this fact attracts a lot of attention, but requires a thorough study.
• Methane has been discovered on Mars. Another important but still controversial discovery. However, the presence of methane may be an additional factor confirming the possible life on the Red Planet.
• When the distance to the Sun is minimal, wind and dust blizzards form on Mars, capable of covering the entire area of ​​Mars. Their average time period is 30 days.

• Mars owes its famous red hue to iron oxide, which is found in the soil in huge quantities.
• Since there is no ozone layer on Mars, the planet receives a "lethal" dose of radiation every day.
• Martian sunsets have a blue tint.
• Scientists have found many similarities in soil compositions between Earth and Mars. Useful minerals have been found in the soil, which theoretically will make it possible to grow unpretentious crops on the planet.
• Despite the highly rarefied atmosphere, clouds form on the Red Planet.

Records of a man in space

Since 1961, people began to conquer outer space. Annual discoveries and new records lead to the expansion of the boundaries of what has been studied beyond the globe.

For example, Anatoly Solovyov set a world record for being in space outside a spacecraft - in total, he made 16 spacewalks. outer space lasting 82 hours 22 minutes, during which time he independently carried out the necessary experiments and work on equipment maintenance.

In 2015, a new world record was set for the total duration of being in space. The record holder was Gennady Padalka, he spent 878 days in orbit. The astronaut made 5 flights, the first of which was in 1998.

He made the longest continuous flight into space. On January 8, 1994, he left the Earth on the Soyuz TM-18 spacecraft. After that, they docked with the Mir station. The total stay in space is 437 days and 18 hours. The return to Earth took place on March 22, 1995. Since then, no one has been able to beat this world record.

Records are set not only for the time spent by astronauts outside the Earth. Also known is the record for the farthest flight into space. It was staged over 40 years ago by James Lovell, John Swigert and Fred Hayes. Astronauts set the world record for being farthest from Earth in 1970, reaching a distance of 401,056 km.

Of course, other records set by people during the study of space are also known: the oldest astronaut, the most manned flight, and others. Active exploration of extraterrestrial space continues, which means that the flight to the Red Planet is only waiting for the right moment.

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How long is the flight to Mars? This question hooked me while watching another documentary about solar system and about the future expedition to Mars. When (I really hope that not if) it takes place, it will be a giant breakthrough 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 happened ...

How far is Mars from Earth? How long does it take to fly 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: to begin with, to determine the current position of the planets, gradually moving to the use of high-tech devices necessary for flight.

How far is Mars from Earth? How many km will have to be covered? As is known from the initial physics course, in order 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 in proximity to the Earth, Mars is the second, it was overtaken by Venus.

Since the Sun holds the planets at different distances (orbits), the remoteness of Mars and the Earth also changes.
In 2003, the distance was 55 million km. At this time, space Hubble telescope a picture was taken.
Theoretically, the maximum approach of Mars to the Earth is possible under certain conditions: Mars is at the point of the orbit of Perihelion, and the Earth is at the point of Aphelion. 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 alignment of the planets.

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

From the same introductory physics course, we know that the speed of light is approximately 186,000 miles per second. or 299 thousand km / s.
That is:

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

Very interesting film about the future flight to Mars (I wanted to quickly look at it, but the whole film sat like this):

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

• At the smallest distance - in 39 days.
• At the middle point of remoteness - in 162 days.
• At the greatest distance - 289 days.

All of the above distance calculations are approximate, as they were made 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 time of the approach of the satellite.

If you want to determine the most convenient date for the next flight to Mars, use the 3D model of the solar system.

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

1. "Mariner 4" - the first spacecraft to study Mars from a flyby trajectory 1964. The journey was 228 days;
2. "Mariner-6" and "Mariner-7" -1969 the first one reached in 155 days, the second in 128 days.
3. "Mariner - 9" artificial satellite of Mars in 1971. the first mapped 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 - the search for life, the journey took 333 days.
6. "Mars Global Surveyor" - 1996 - an artificial satellite of Mars - 308 days.
7. "Mars Pathfinder" - 1997 - the first rover - 212 days.
8. “Mars Express” (satellite, has been operating in orbit around Mars since December 25, 2003) - 201 days.
9. "Martian Scout" - reconnaissance satellite (2006) - 210 days.
10. "Maven" the tenth satellite (09/22/2014) - explores the atmosphere - was on the 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 will not be superfluous 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 202,000 applicants, Mars One selected 1,058 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 go to the Launch Window, which opens every 2 years, in the Goman-Vetchinkin orbit.

About the Mars One project in the video:

So, let's look at what you need to know about, eager to move to Mars.

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

Mars One Corporation claims that it knows how long to fly to Mars and this period for those whom the lights will 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 task, then you can enjoy the oppressive blackness on the other side of the window to your heart's content. In addition to this idyll, if a solar storm catches you, you will have to hide in a space much smaller than 20 square meters. meters (area for living).

Will the psyche work?

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

Will your body survive?

Today, astronauts stay on the ISS for no longer than 6 months, as muscles and bones, under the influence of microgravity, atrophy and lose mass. And what will happen to the astronauts flying to Mars, because the flight is more than 200 days?

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

If you do not have time to do everything planned within the Earth, then on Mars you will have such an opportunity. A day on Mars lasts 40 minutes longer, and a year of 687 days, which, of course, many will see an advantage, since compared to 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 as if all the joy has been sucked out.”

Dreams of gravity

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

If you want children, stay on Earth

Mars One strongly recommends that you do not have children on Mars yet. Firstly, nurseries, kindergartens have not been built yet, Secondly, pediatricians have not been brought in. But seriously, while scientists do not know whether the attempt to conceive a child in Martian conditions will succeed, and if so, how successful it will remain a mystery. Conception, gestation and childbirth on Earth is not the most harmless occupation, to say nothing of Mars.

Sports fanatic? Mars for you!

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

Fly to Mars - do not try to get sick!

Do not be afraid, 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, an antiseptic, an antibiotic and much more, but what will happen to you if your teammates do not figure out what is throwing you all over the spacecraft?

I am glad that before departure, all equipment is disinfected so that you do not populate space with terrestrial viruses and bacteria. And you heard well when the doctors said that if you catch an infection on Mars, they won’t let you go home, since there is nothing to drag an unexplored, alien sore into the house, we have enough studied earthly ones.

Gourmets, think

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

Fresh air is good for health

It's not about Mars either. 96% of the atmosphere on Mars is CO2 (carbon dioxide) with tiny traces of oxygen. And storms that continue for hours with probably toxic sand cannot be called healthy at all. No way, on a quiet Martian evening, you can’t walk 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 is nothing to talk about phones, it will slow down for almost half an hour, who can stand such a conversation? With the internet, the story is just as sad. The sites will be only 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, every time you go to the surface, you will be exposed to huge radioactive radiation.
In general, the outlook is not bright. Even if you miraculously don't get sick on Mars or amazing way heal, all the same, loneliness awaits you away from loved ones and relatives.

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

We can safely say that Mars is the only planet of intergalactic expanses that attracts the increased attention of scientists around the world. And if earlier earthlings were engaged only in the study of the planet, then with recently they seriously thought about settling the "Red Star".

In the article we will tell you how long it takes to fly to Mars, what grandiose expedition is planned to land selected volunteers on the territory of the "Fiery Planet"? What obstacles can stand in the way of its implementation?

What is the distance between Mars and Earth

The Red Planet is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second farthest from Earth. On average, Mars and Earth are at a distance 225 million km from each other. However, this is a floating value that changes regularly. This is because the planets revolve around the sun. The closest "neighborhood" was observed in 2003. Then the planets were at a distance of 56 million km from each other.

This is interesting: the maximum possible distance between Mars and Earth is 401 million km.

Who first measured the distance

Modern tools of researchers are very accurate, but in the 17th century (or rather, in 1672 they were not). Therefore, Giovanni Cassini resorted to the so-called parallax method. To do this, he stayed in the capital of France, and his fellow scientist Jean Richard went to French Guiana. It is noteworthy that the accuracy of the measurement results carried out by scientists turned out to be only 7% less than the readings of modern equipment.

What is the best time to fly

In theory best time for planning a space flight to Mars is the period when it is at the point of the orbit of Perihelion, and the Earth is at the point of Aphelion. In this case, the distance between the objects of interest to us would be almost 55 million km. But these are just “calculations on paper”. After all, mankind has never managed to witness such an alignment of the planets.

How long does it take to fly to Mars: numbers and facts

If you don't have the patience to endure a half-hour drive to the nearest mall or amusement park, don't become an astronaut.

It is known that the automatic interplanetary station NASA New Horizons, which went to Pluto in 2006, is currently the fastest vehicle in the history of space flight. It is noteworthy that New Horizons left the Earth's orbit at a speed of 58 thousand km per hour.

Let's make simple calculations based on these data and find out how much this NASA interplanetary station would fly to Mars:

• with the so-called "opposition" (when Mars and the planet Earth are as close as possible to each other), the duration of the trip would be 39 days;
• with an average distance of about 162 days;
• and at the maximum distance of the planets from each other, a flight to Mars will take 289 days.

Attention: all calculations were made in a straight line and, of course, these are only theoretical calculations. It must be understood that neither Earth nor Mars stand still. It is impossible to send a rocket or other spacecraft from point A directly to point B (due to the fact that the planets are constantly moving in their orbits around the Sun). To hit the target, it is necessary to take into account the trajectory of the Red Planet. Otherwise, the mistake can be too costly.

List of major space missions

November 28, 1964 became significant date in the history of flights to Mars. After all, it was on this day that the American spacecraft Mariner 4 NASA went to the "Red Planet". The unit arrived at the object of study on July 14, 1965. It was then that the first series of images of Mars was taken, consisting of 21 photos. It is noteworthy that the total flight time was 228 days.

No less successful was the flight of Mariner 6, which set off on February 25, 1969 to conquer the expanses of Mars. The duration of the trip was 156 days.

But the next spacecraft Mariner 7 needed 131 days to achieve the goal.

The duration of the flight of the Mariner 9 spacecraft, which successfully entered the orbit of Mars, was 167 days.

Viking 1 is the first spacecraft to land on the surface of the Red Planet. It happened in 1975, and the total duration of the flight is 304 days.

At a similar pace, exploration of Mars has been going on for the past 50 years. Every space journey takes from 150 to 350 days. For example, in 2006, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter flight took place, which lasted 210 days. And in 2008 Phoenix Lander returned to Earth in 295 days.

Is it possible to travel to Mars at the speed of light

Most likely, such a question visited you while reading the article. Recall that this value is 299,792 km per second or 1 billion kilometers per hour. And this means that the sun's rays reflected from the surface of Mars will reach our planet:

• with "opposition" - for 3 minutes;
• at an average distance - during 12.5-13 minutes;
• at the minimum approach - approx. 22 minutes.

Since there is no other limit to the speed at which earthlings can move, other than the speed of light, let's imagine that we still managed to bypass the problems associated with the construction of ultra-high-speed rockets and spaceships. However, in this case, we will face much more more serious problem. The fact is that the human body, which consists mainly of water, is not ready for such serious tests of speed.

And even if humanity discovers a physical law capable of giving us such an acceleration, it is necessary to understand that we will have to quickly pick up speed, and just as quickly reduce it. And such fluctuations are mortal danger for the fragile human body. There may be: fainting, partial or complete loss of vision and other symptoms. Many of them are familiar to aircraft pilots. Moreover, even fatal cases are known when pilots crashed due to a black veil before their eyes or loss of consciousness.

How to get to the planet with minimal fuel consumption

The primary task facing engineers is not to reduce the time spent in intergalactic space, but to save fuel. NASA engineers have been following a method called the Hohmann trajectory for decades. This method means minimum fuel consumption. To begin with, engineers launch a rocket or satellite into solar orbit.

After some time, the orbit intersects with the orbit of the "Red Planet" and it finds itself at the desired point in its orbit. Of course, before the launch of the satellite, it is necessary to make serious calculations in order to correctly calculate the speed of Mars.

How to fly faster

Unfortunately, a 250-day flight poses a serious danger to astronauts. During the flight, they will be constantly exposed to background radiation. In addition, storms occur on the Sun. A similar phenomenon can kill all crew members in a matter of hours in outer space.

One solution that engineers see is the production of nuclear missiles. It is on such devices that the first people will go to Mars.

This is interesting: At the moment, some world-famous scientists believe that if you equip a spacecraft with a nuclear-powered engine, it will be possible to reduce the duration of a trip to Mars to 39 days.

At the moment, former astronaut Franklin Chang-Diaz is developing another technology that will allow people to relatively quickly overcome the distance from Earth to Mars. If he manages to introduce variable-momentum magneto-plasma rockets, the space journey to the "Red Planet" will last 5 months.

How many years will it take for a man to set foot on Mars?

In 2013, it became known about the new Mars One project, which will launch the first spacecraft with passengers on board in 2026. And although about 200 thousand inhabitants expressed their desire to participate in such an important expedition for earthlings, after several qualifying rounds there will be no more than 20 of them. It is known that everything that happens on the territory of the planet, which is a lifeless desert, will be broadcast online.

Responsibility for the technical basis of the project rests with Lockheed. It was she who developed the lander for the NASA satellite that landed on Mars in 2008. It is known that in this case the flight to the fourth planet from the Sun will take 7-8 months.

This is interesting: about a quarter of the candidates who expressed a desire to go to Mars are Americans, residents of Russia and other CIS countries are only 4%.

Elon Musk's plans to populate the "Red Planet"

The head of the world famous company Tesla and SpaceX has similar plans. However, he stated that the first humans would land on Mars in 2024. His project is massive. After all, he set a serious task for the engineers - to build a spacecraft that can simultaneously accommodate 200 people and carry 450 tons of cargo.

Of course, the pioneers will have the great honor of becoming the first people to set foot on the surface of Mars. However, they should not be envied.

What difficulties await a manned expedition:

1. Experts believe that the most difficult for the crew members will be in the psychological sense. Unfortunately, the processes that occur in the central nervous system in the absence of contacts with close and dear people.

   On a note: earlier in Russia, the Mars-500 project was carried out, during which six volunteers were trapped in a confined space for 500 days. Especially for the experiment, Russian scientists built a prototype spacecraft. As a result, many of the people were diagnosed with various sleep disorders and depression.

2. Representatives of the mission will need to constantly keep their body in good physical shape. The fact is that in space, muscles, bones, and even the cardiovascular system The human body functions differently. To support their work, you should exercise every day for 2-3 hours.
3. Many people who live as if on autopilot, thinking only about their pressing affairs and problems, do not even pay attention to what surrounds us: the sun's rays, clouds, stars in the night sky and ... Fresh air. Unfortunately the members space crew who will have the opportunity to visit Mars will be deprived of such happiness. The fact is that the atmosphere on the "Red Planet" is very rarefied (about 1% of the Earth's). More than 95% it consists of carbon dioxide with a small amount of oxygen.
4. It is known that before each mission to Mars, all rovers are thoroughly wiped and disinfected. Such measures are necessary to prevent terrestrial infection from reaching the surface of Mars. But if an astronaut becomes infected with an unknown disease on the Red Planet, unfortunately, we will not be able to take him back. Such a tough and even a little ruthless measure is necessary in order to prevent the development of an unprecedented infection and not provoke an outbreak on Earth. Alas, the sick astronaut is destined to die away from family and friends.
5. It is better for people who dream of offspring not to leave the Earth and not to go to Mars. Since scientists do not yet know how pregnancy and labor will proceed in Martian conditions. Are mutations possible?
6. Gravity hurts. It is known that on the territory of Mars gravity is two-thirds less than on Earth. A person gets used to everything - both good and bad. During the time of adaptation to Martian gravity, the process of atrophy of the muscular and skeletal systems will occur. Therefore, returning home - to the native Planet - will cause the crew members not only tears of joy, but also true physical torment.
7. Perhaps one of the most serious dangers that awaits the expedition of Mars is radiation. The fact is that there is no magnetic field on the “Red Planet”, therefore, every time you enter its rusty brick surface, you will be exposed to radioactive radiation.

Now you know how far Mars is from our Planet, and how long it will take to get into orbit. Of course, due to the overpopulation of the Earth, humanity will be forced to look for new "promised lands" for its further existence. However, for now, an expedition to the Red Planet is being conducted to study the features of Mars and its differences from our habitat. Since the "Fire Star" to this day is a little-studied object of intergalactic expanses.

Mars The World That Wasn't

In the video you will learn about what hypotheses scientists are building about the origin of Mars. What was this cold and lifeless desert like before? Is there water there, and is the planet habitable?

From Earth to Mars in 4 minutes. 19 sec.

In this video you will see the flight of the rover to Mars. It landed on a lifeless planet exactly 229 days after launch. You will see a flight to Mars at the speed of light.

mars red planet

Humanity has known about Mars since the time of ancient civilizations. Even the ancient Chinese called the planet "Fire Star". But despite the fact that Mars has been studied for a long time and despite dozens of flying vehicles sent into its orbit, people have not managed to find out most of the secrets hiding "under the cover" of the Earth's space counterpart.