Flights to Mars are in the near future. How long to fly to Mars How long to fly to Mars from earth

Space flights have interested humanity for decades and hundreds of years. In ancient times, people used simple telescopes to study the sky in search of answers about earthly life. After the exploration of the Moon by spacecraft, Mars captured the minds of mankind. Leading space designers are asking questions about how to calculate the optimal flight path and how long to fly to Mars.

Mars is a planet in the solar system, one of the first discovered by humanity. Credit: version.info.

Distance to Mars

The Red Planet is the second farthest from Earth. The distance between Mars and Earth varies from 55 million to 400 million km.

Light travels to Mars in 3-22 light minutes. It depends on the position of the planets in orbit. In 1964, the United States launched Mariner 4, which reached Mars in 228 days. He took 21 photographs and sent them to Earth. In 1969, Mariner 6 reached the Red Planet in 155 days. The artificial satellite studied the state of the atmosphere and measured the surface temperature. As a result of subsequent flights, maps of Mars were created.

Viking 1 landed on the surface 304 days after launch. The spacecraft, called Viking 2, reached its final destination after 333 days. More than 16,000 color photographs were taken. Flights to Mars from Earth continue in the 21st century. Among the domestic spacecraft, it is worth mentioning Mars-1, which covered millions of kilometers in 230 days. Flight durations are given one way.

Average flight time

Travel time is not dependent on technological advances. To determine it, you need to perform complex mathematical calculations and analysis of the orbits of celestial bodies. If the average distance between the planets is taken to be 225 million km, flying at an average airplane speed (1000 km/h), the flight will take 22,000 days. This is more than 60 years. But you can use the fastest spacecraft, which will cover the distance in 39 days. Its speed reaches 58,000 km/h.

There is no single route and time to overcome it. Over the course of a year, all the planets occupy different places in their orbits, which changes the distance between them. A flight to Mars at the speed of light (over 299 million km/h) will take from 3 to 22 minutes. However, the fastest ship, Voyager-1, is capable of traveling at a speed of 62,140 km/h, and it is not suitable for carrying passengers.

Flights to Mars are research missions conducted since the 60s of the 20th century without a crew using rovers and orbital stations. Credit: version.info.

A modern rocket can reach speeds of up to 8350 km/h. At this rate, the flight duration will be 6586 hours. This is about 274 days at the minimum distance of Mars from Earth. At the maximum distance, the travel duration will last up to 5.47 years. To this period we need to add the time for the return delivery of the astronauts.

Is a person able to fly?

The mission organizers are faced with the problem of sending the ship there and returning it back. The faster it flies, the better. The minimum speed should be 18,000 km/h. If we take into account the period of planetary convergence, which lasts about 500 days, it will take at least 33 Earth months to travel to Mars. There are dangers awaiting space travelers along the way:

• radiation;
• insulation;
• route length;
• gravitational fields;
• limited space, etc.

Cosmic radiation causes great harm to human health. No one can predict the results of its influence. Isolation for a long time leads to sleep disturbances, changes in behavior and in relationships between participants in the space expedition.

Space is not a place for people to live. It takes a lot of effort to create comfortable conditions on the ship. The device will cover half the distance at the maximum possible speed, then begin braking to achieve a soft landing.

Once on the surface of the Red Planet, the spaceship cannot wait for quick help from Earth. The consequences of the influence of earthly, cosmic and alien gravity on the body have not yet been studied.

A person will receive a huge dose of radiation on the way to Mars. Credit: discover24.ru

Another difficulty of human being on Mars is lack of air. The atmosphere of the Red Planet contains 96% carbon dioxide, so you always need to move around with breathing apparatus. Frequent sandstorms can destroy equipment and housing of earthlings, and kill the astronauts themselves. Various as yet unknown diseases pose a threat.

Fuel consumption

Engineers propose to fly on devices with nuclear engines. They require hydrogen in the amount of 6 tons. On the return journey it is planned to use carbon dioxide, which is available on the Red Planet. Water is split into hydrogen and oxygen, which are used for respiration and the production of methane. Many nuances make it difficult to accurately calculate the amount of fuel required for a trip.

The idea of ​​heating and ionizing fuel using radio waves is of interest. The result of the process is plasma. It is cheaper than nuclear fuel.

Antimatter is a new type of fuel for interstellar travel. The speed of the spacecraft develops almost to the level of light, although similar devices do not yet exist. According to calculations, a trip to Mars requires about 10 mg of antimatter (worth over $240 million).

Acceptable flight trajectories

There are many gravitational points in the solar system that cannot be collided with. Therefore, safe flight trajectories to the Red Planet have been developed:

• elliptical (Homanovsky);
• parabolic;
• hyperbolic.

The flight path is calculated so that the spacecraft is not directed directly towards the planet, but towards a point that it will reach after a certain period of time. Credit: mks-onlain.ru.

The Hohmann trajectory was developed by Walter Hohmann, an engineer from Germany. The ship is launched against the movement of the Earth. The use of this method is characterized by the consumption of a large amount of fuel for braking. Ballistic capture is a method of launching spacecraft towards Mars in its orbit. Braking occurs due to atmospheric resistance.

The parabolic trajectory is a difficult but short route. It is overcome in 80 days when the ship is moving at the 3rd cosmic speed (16.7 km/h). More fuel is required for the maneuver; savings come from a shorter flight duration: costs for food and the operation of life support systems are reduced.

The hyperbolic flight path is the shortest route for a space mission. With such a flight, the time of exposure of astronauts to cosmic radiation is reduced. For now, such travel is impossible, because... spaceships that travel at hyperbolic speeds are in development.

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 that there is an extensive network of canals on Mars, which were created by a highly developed civilization. These assumptions coincided with the first spectroscopic observations of Mars, which mistook the oxygen and water vapor lines of the Earth's atmosphere for the lines of the Martian atmosphere.

As a result, the idea of ​​an advanced civilization on Mars became popular in the late 19th century and early 20th century. 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 is 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 the total transit time 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 velocity).

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 Grunt 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 of 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 ship of hundreds of tons and the presence of a special compartment with a high level of protection from cosmic radiation, where the crew had to take refuge 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, the initial speed of 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 spacecraft crew. 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, the Seafull-class submarines use a 34-megawatt nuclear reactor, and the Gerald Ford-class aircraft carrier uses 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 first person to think hard about how long it would take for a person to fly to Mars, and to conduct a technical analysis of this possibility, was a scientist back in 1948, one of the founders of modern rocket science. After him, the idea of ​​such a flight was considered by both the first space powers and private companies.

How many kilometers to fly to Mars from Earth?

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

• enormous atmospheric pressure;
• acid rain;
• heat.

We have no chance there!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where should Mars be during launch?

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

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

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

Orbital mechanics or how many kilometers need to be covered

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let us remind you: a heliocentric orbit is an elliptical trajectory of a celestial body around the Sun.

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

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

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

How long does it take to fly to Mars?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Forecasts: how long to fly by time

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why does it take so long to fly

Why can't we get there faster now:

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

How to get to Mars with the least amount of fuel

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to fly faster - possible routes

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

Elliptical trajectory

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

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

Parabolic trajectory

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

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

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

Hyperbolic trajectory

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

Ideas to reduce flight time

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

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

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

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

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

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

How much will the trip cost?

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

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

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

Why go to Mars

There are many reasons for organizing such a mission.

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

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

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

How many unsolved flight problems exist?

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

Interest in the exploration of the Red Planet has not waned for many years. And the reason for this is due to many factors. Mars is not only a challenge for scientists, designers, and business enthusiasts. It is quite possible that the future of humanity will be connected with Mars. And therefore, the Red Planet is considered today not only as an object of scientific research, but also from a practical point of view, in particular, in the near future it is planned to begin the exploration of our neighbor in the solar system. Let's find out how long it actually takes to fly to Mars and the accompanying features.

The main reasons for the growing interest in the topic of flights to Mars

Mars has always aroused keen interest among humanity. For example, in ancient Roman mythology, Mars was the god of war, one of the three gods who led the ancient Roman pantheon. Knowledge about the Red Planet gradually accumulated, humanity became closer to the first step of its representative on the Martian surface.

The topic of flights to Mars is of interest primarily to scientists. The possible existence of life on this planet has been talked about for a long time. In this case, interest in Mars is associated with the answer to one of the main questions that concerns humanity. This is the question of whether we are alone in the Universe or whether life can exist in other corners of it. It has been proven that the Red Planet had water and a warm climate a long time ago. If researchers manage to discover traces of modern life on Mars or irrefutable evidence of its existence on this planet in the past, then the theory that the process of evolutionary development from simple chemical compounds to complex ones is characteristic of the Universe as a whole will be confirmed.

In the same case, when it is not possible to detect evidence of life on Mars, then, most likely, scientists will come to the conclusion that for the emergence of organic life, an element of chance, an incredible coincidence of circumstances, is also necessary. And then we can say with a high degree of probability that planet Earth is the only inhabited corner in space.

The topic of flights to Mars periodically arose, occupying the front pages of newspapers in the 60s of the last century (when everything related to space aroused burning interest), then disappeared when possible flights to Mars were simply forgotten, giving priority to other tasks.

The second factor driving the sharply increased interest in flights to Mars is the challenge to human society, which can only develop when it overcomes obstacles and responds to challenges. Otherwise, stagnation and cessation of development begin. Scientists dream of becoming pioneers of new worlds. A flight to Mars will help millions of scientists, designers, and researchers in various fields receive incredible intellectual capital, which will become the property of human society. A flight to Mars means discoveries, new technologies, a big push in technological development.

The third factor can be considered the need for a flight to Mars for the future of humanity. Sooner or later, human civilization will face overpopulation of the planet, depletion of natural resources, energy reserves, and food shortages. Therefore, the most insightful scientists are confident that today we must begin to explore other planets. At first, this will be the creation of small colonies, but with the development of technology and the increasing rate of settlement of other planets, in particular Mars, the construction of large settlements with developed infrastructure and a large population will begin.

A manned flight to Mars could be the beginning of a new era for all mankind

How long does it take to fly to Mars from Earth?

The question of how long the flight to Mars will take is far from idle. The distance between our planet and Mars is variable. When the Earth takes a position between the sun and Mars, the distance will be about 55 million km. When the Sun is between Earth and Mars, the distance increases to 410 million km. Therefore, there is no exact answer to the question about the duration of the flight to Mars; it all depends on the location of our planets relative to the Sun and, accordingly, the distance from Earth to the Red Planet. The Homan trajectory is considered the least energy-consuming. If you travel to Mars along it, then the flight time will take nine months. The additional acceleration of the ship from Earth orbit in this case will be 2.9 km/s. But this trajectory is most acceptable for automatic stations, since for a person in this case the radiation exposure limit during the flight would be significantly exceeded.

Most developments of manned flights involve the use of hyperbolic trajectories, in which the travel time will be no more than six months and, accordingly, the dose of ionizing radiation will not exceed the permissible norm. But in this case, additional acceleration from the Earth’s orbit of 6 km/s will be necessary. Accordingly, 4.5 times more fuel will be required for a manned spacecraft.

The flight plan to Mars consists of several stages

What does "traveling at the speed of light" mean?

Moving at the speed of light means that the body is moving at a speed that is colossal for human understanding. Its speed is 299,792,458 m/s or 1,079,252,848.8 km/h. The speed of light is a fundamental physical constant. In simple terms, it means the distance that light travels in a certain period of time. In astronomy, distances are measured in light years. A light year is 9,460,528,177,426.82 km (almost 9.5 trillion kilometers). To date, no human creation has been able to reach the speed of light or even close to it. It is assumed that sooner or later technological progress will make it possible to reach this unique speed limit and even overcome this barrier, as it once happened with the speed of sound. But even reaching the speed of light will not allow humanity to visit the nearest galaxy - the Andromeda galaxy (NGC 224), only the outskirts of which are 2 million 537 thousand light years away.

Video: flight to Mars and space pioneers

How to calculate the distance to the red planet in kilometers

The minimum distance from Earth to Mars (53 million km) was in 2003 (the next time a similar approach will occur only after 50 thousand years). Once every two years, the distance between the planets is reduced to 54.6 million km. This is the standard minimum distance between Earth and Mars. Scientists consider the maximum possible distance to be 401 million km. The average distance between Earth and Mars is 225 million km.

How is flight time to the Red Planet calculated?

Most likely, a manned spacecraft will be launched to Mars precisely when the planets are at a minimum distance from each other. When calculating the flight duration in this case, the launch of the spacecraft will be taken into account during the period of optimal relative positions of the planets and the time of its flight to Mars. In this case, it is assumed that the astronauts will be en route to the Red Planet for a minimum of six and a maximum of seven months. In total, the one-way journey will take from 180 to 210 days.

But it's not that simple. The above calculations are theoretical and flight times are average. We should not forget about the return of astronauts to Earth. The launch of a spacecraft from Earth to Mars, of course, can be carried out without any problems during the optimal period of the relative positions of the planets. But to return to Earth, you will have to wait for the next period, when Mars and Earth will be closest to each other. And this period is 18 months. To this time should be added a minimum six-month period of return from Mars to Earth. As a result, we get two and a half years. This is exactly how long, under a favorable set of circumstances, the flight time of a manned spacecraft to Mars will take from the moment of its launch to the return of the module with astronauts to Earth.

If we consider a flight on a spacecraft with a high-power nuclear engine, then theoretically this can halve the time spent on an interplanetary flight. In addition, the use of a nuclear engine allows you to have more freedom when choosing the moment not only for the launch of a spacecraft from Earth, but also for the beginning of its return from Mars. In this case, the optimal period of the relative position of the Earth and Mars will no longer have such a significant role as during the flight of a ship with a conventional rocket engine. But the main problem is that there is no nuclear engine for such a journey yet, although its development has long been underway by American designers.

In practice, there have not yet been manned flights to Mars. For example, the American automatic research station Curiosity flew to Mars along a Homan trajectory from November 26, 2011 to August 6, 2012. As you can see, the flight took a little over eight months. And back in 1964, the also American Mariner-4 traveled from our planet to the Red Planet in a time exceeding seven months (11/28/1964 – 07/14/1965).

Automatic station "Curiosity" landed the rover on the Red Planet after almost eight months

Calculating the flight time of astronauts to Mars is one of the key tasks when developing a project for a manned space expedition to the Red Planet. The amount of food, fuel, battery capacity, oxygen reserves, and so on depends on this. A mistake can be very costly. It is also very important to calculate the trajectory correctly. After all, the Earth and Mars are not in a static state, constantly moving in their orbits. Launching a rocket from point A on Earth to point B on Mars must be done taking into account the advance. Indeed, during the flight, Mars will significantly increase its distance from our planet, continuing to move in its orbit.

One of the challenges in developing planning and scheduling missions to Mars is the simply incredible amount of fuel that the spacecraft needs. Accordingly, the spaceship must be simply gigantic. It’s time to remember the enormous cost of such a manned expedition. It is the enormous cost of the human flight project to Mars that determines that man has not yet set foot on the Red Planet. The immediate benefits from a flight to Mars are very slim, so even the economically developed countries of the world are unlikely to invest huge amounts of money in a project that does not promise clear advantages in the foreseeable future. But today only the most far-sighted and perspicacious politicians, businessmen and scientists think about the strategic advantages of the mission.

How long does it take to get to Mars from the Moon?

The flight from Earth to the Moon takes about three days. The flight time from the Moon to Mars will be shorter by three days. But this is again a theory. In practice, a lunar launch will significantly reduce the cost of the flight itself and reduce the weight of the spacecraft due to less fuel. The second escape velocity for the Moon is “only” 2.4 km/s compared to Earth’s 11.2 km/s.

Accordingly, much less effort will be required to escape the gravitational field of a cosmic body (in this case, the Moon). But for now, the lunar launch remains in the realm of theoretical developments. There is one link missing between the lunar launch of a spacecraft to Mars and the current state of affairs - the impossibility of launching from the lunar surface due to the absence of an appropriate launch complex on the Earth’s satellite.

The duration of the flight from the Moon to Mars is not fundamentally different from the duration of the flight to Mars from Earth. But the launch of a manned space complex from the Moon will make it possible to use the spacecraft itself much more efficiently. It is assumed that when launching from Earth, the payload coefficient will be no more than 25%, and when launching a spacecraft from the lunar surface, this figure will exceed 40%.

Video: how interplanetary flights were planned in the USSR

Prospects for modern developments to move people to Mars

A manned flight to Mars may take place in the foreseeable future. The world's leading space agencies (Roscosmos, NASA, ESA) have declared that a manned flight to Mars is their main task of the present century.

The main idea of ​​a manned flight to the Red Planet, which will be considered the first step in the history of the colonization of Mars, rather refers to the phenomenon of expansion of human civilization. The possibility of a manned flight to Mars was first considered by Wernher von Braun. The developer of the German V-missiles conducted a technical analysis of this possibility in the United States in 1948, at the request of the American government, and provided a detailed report on it. Subsequently, with the advent of the space age and the flight into space of first the first artificial Earth satellite, and then the first man, the issue of a manned expedition to Mars became relevant and moved into the field of practical developments.

In the Soviet Union, the first version of a spacecraft for a flight to the Red Planet was considered at Korolev’s design bureau back in 1959. The development was led by Soviet designer Mikhail Tikhonravov.

Project Mars One

The idea of ​​​​creating the first terrestrial colony on the Red Planet came to the mind of the Dutch entrepreneur and researcher Bas Lansdorp during his student years. He founded the company Ampyx Power, which is developing the project.

The Mars One project involves a manned flight to the Red Planet and the subsequent establishment of a colony on it. Moreover, everything that happens tens or hundreds of millions of kilometers away is planned to be broadcast to Earth on television. It is expected that the online broadcast from Mars will become the most popular TV show on Earth. It is through the sale of rights to broadcast from the Red Planet that the project is expected to be repaid and profited from it. To date, only 8 people are officially employed in the project. The founder claims that all work will be performed under subcontract agreements.

In 2011, the project officially started, and in 2013, the international selection of astronauts began. The project involves several stages. The penultimate of these will be the landing of the first crew on Mars, which is expected by 2027. In 2029, the landing of the second group of cosmonauts and the delivery of equipment and all-terrain vehicles are planned. Flights to Mars as part of the Mars One project and the settlement of the first Earth colony on the Red Planet are expected to be carried out every two years. By 2035, the planned number of colonists on Mars should be 20 people. The selection of future cosmonauts occurs on a voluntary basis. The group includes both men and women. The minimum age of the participant should not be less than 18 years, and the maximum should not exceed 65 years. Priority is given to highly educated and healthy candidates with a scientific and technical background. The first settlers on Mars must become defectors. Nevertheless, there were many who wanted to start a new life beyond earthly boundaries. In just 5 months of 2013, 202,586 candidates representing 140 states submitted applications to participate in the body. 24% of the candidates were American citizens, followed by representatives from India (10%) and third from China (6%).

Television broadcasting and communications are supposed to be supported with the help of artificial satellites that rotate in near-Earth, near-solar and near-Mars (in the future) orbits. The signal travel time to our planet will be from 3 to 22 minutes.

This is what the developers want the first colony on Mars to look like.

Elon Musk project

South African businessman and owner of SpaceX Elon Musk in 2016 presented a project for the colonization of the Red Planet. It is assumed that an interplanetary transport system will be created, with the help of which an autonomous colony will be built on Mars. With the help of the interplanetary transport system, in 50 years, more than a million people will live in this earthly colony, according to Elon Musk’s forecasts.

At the annual congress of the International Astronautical Federation, which was held in Australia (Adelaide) in September 2017, Elon Musk announced the creation of a modern super-heavy launch vehicle, with which it is planned to go to Mars in 2022. The designers' plans suggest that this will be the largest launch vehicle in the history of astronautics, which will be able to launch more than 150 tons of payload into low-Earth orbit. It is also assumed that this launch vehicle will be able to deliver cargo to Mars. Its design length will be 106 meters, and its diameter will be 9 meters.

Elon Musk’s global thinking has long won the hearts of not only scientists involved in developments in the field of interplanetary flights, but also many people who are not indifferent to the issues of colonization of other planets. Back in 2016, it was assumed that the super-heavy launch vehicle would have much greater capabilities. But after this, an expert assessment was carried out of the possible costs of its production, as well as the availability of appropriate technologies in the modern world. After a technical analysis, it was decided to reduce the size and power of the launch vehicle by a third.

Elon Musk attracted many well-known global companies working in various areas, from communication systems to the production of rocket engines, to finance his project.

At the end of 2019, a test flight of Elon Musk’s new launch vehicle is planned, which three years after testing should deliver the first earthlings to Mars.

The South African entrepreneur also plans to build an earthly base on the Moon, which is included in the general concept of the Interplanetary Transport System as, among other things, the possibility of launching spacecraft to Mars directly from the Earth’s satellite.

Elon Musk has developed his own project for populating Mars

Russian developments

Roscosmos is today actively engaged in developing projects for manned flights to Mars. In 2018, the development of prototypes of key elements that will be used on the Soyuz-5 super-heavy launch vehicle is underway. The design carrying capacity of the launch vehicle is up to 130 tons of payload. It is assumed that Soyuz-5 will become the most economical launch vehicle. One and a half trillion rubles have been allocated for the development and construction of the rocket. This amount also includes the creation of appropriate infrastructure at the Russian Vostochny cosmodrome.

The Russians are planning the exploration of Mars together with representatives of other countries, in particular the United States. According to the Russian president, cooperation with the United States in the field of deep space exploration can and should lead to a joint interplanetary expedition to Mars by 2030.

Russian space experts express the opinion that preparing a manned mission to Mars will take at least 30 years. In particular, the famous Russian scientist Academician Zheleznyakov assures that the cost of the project of landing a man on Mars and creating an earthly colony on this planet will cost at least 300 billion dollars. The academician also considers cooperation in preparing for a landing on Mars with China to be very promising.

There has not yet been a concrete decision on the preparation of a team of cosmonauts that is planned to be sent to the Red Planet. Currently, Roscosmos is developing only carriers that will be able to deliver the first people to Mars in the relatively near future.

Soyuz-5 will become the most economical launch vehicle

What would life be like for the first settlers?

The life of the first settlers on Mars will be strikingly different from that on earth. Not only many discoveries await them, but also a huge number of dangers awaiting them on the Red Planet.

For life you will have to create a special high-tech base. Without appropriate protection, a person cannot live on Mars. To understand the reasons, we should take a closer look at the natural conditions of the Red Planet.

Natural conditions on Mars

Natural conditions on Mars are much harsher than on Earth. For example, the average daily temperature on the Red Planet is up to minus 40 degrees below zero. Temperatures acceptable for humans (20 degrees Celsius) can only be during the day and only in the summer months. At the poles, at night the temperature can drop to minus 140 degrees. On the rest of the planet at night it is anywhere from 30 to 80 degrees below zero.

The main disadvantage of the Red Planet is the inability to breathe. The Martian atmosphere is about one-hundredth the size of the Earth's. In addition, it predominantly (95%) consists of carbon dioxide. The remaining 5% is nitrogen (3%) and argon (1.6%). The remaining 0.4% belongs to oxygen and water vapor.

The mass of Mars is small, it is only 10.7% of the Earth's. Accordingly, there is less gravity on the planet. It is almost two and a half times less than the earth’s (38%). The equator of Mars is 53% of the equator of our planet.

The duration of a Martian day is only 37 minutes 23 seconds longer than that of Earth. But the Martian year is much longer than the Earth's. It is equal to 1.88 Earth days (almost 687 days). There are four seasons on the planet, just like on Earth.

The pressure on the surface of Mars is very low due to the high rarefaction of the atmosphere. It does not exceed 6.1 mbar. This is why the water that exists on Mars practically does not exist in liquid form.

The level of radiation on Mars is significantly higher than on Earth. Due to the virtually absent atmosphere and extremely weak magnetic field, ionizing radiation is many times higher than on our home planet. As a result, the astronaut receives in one or maximum two days a dose of radiation that is equivalent to what he received on Earth for the entire year.

All the above information explains why a person arriving on Mars from Earth will not be able to live on its surface without appropriate means of protection and support, even for a few minutes.

Therefore, people arriving from Earth should immediately attend to the issue of building a base. Without a protective shield from ionizing radiation, without oxygen reserves, without communication with Earth, the probability of living on Mars for at least a few days is equal to zero.

Natural conditions on Mars are extremely harsh for earthlings

An extremely important problem for earthlings on Mars will be psychological adaptation to new living conditions. Most likely, the first settlers from Earth will be volunteer enthusiasts who have completed the appropriate training course on their home planet. But after a while, nostalgia for the Earth will take its toll. But it is assumed that none of them will return to their home planet again. Psychologists have tried to simulate the behavior of earthly colonists on Mars. But, since no one has ever been in such a situation, the calculations are purely theoretical. Psychologists say that during the first year the colonists will be busy arranging their homes, creating infrastructure, and studying the Martian territory. But within a year, nostalgia for our home planet will take over, and Martian reality will gradually become boring. A connection with the Earth can also add fuel to the fire, when it will be possible to communicate with relatives, loved ones, friends and acquaintances whom the first settlers would never meet in person again. Psychological adaptation can be extremely painful. In addition, it is difficult to prevent all possible dangers that the colonists will have to face. Despite deep psychological testing when selecting candidates for resettlement, people may experience unforeseen psychological reactions, including uncontrollable aggression and the use of weapons against their “co-planets.” That is why special attention during a hypothetical relocation to Mars should be paid to the psychological adaptation of the colonists.

By the way, young people, whose psyche is still flexible, will be able to adapt to new conditions much faster. The hardest thing will be for people with deeply rooted behavioral stereotypes and a psychological constitution that is far from flexible.

Will there be internet on Mars?

The time it takes for a signal to travel from one planet to another will be from 186 to 1338 seconds (depending on the relative position). On average it is 12 minutes. In this case, the ping will average 40–45 minutes.

It is assumed that interplanetary hosting will appear that will be able to synchronize Earth and Martian servers. Of course, there will definitely be Internet on Mars. Today it is still difficult to imagine a detailed methodology for solving such a problem, but it is already clear that this issue can be technically solved.

Internet satellites could provide internet on Mars

Will babies be born on Mars?

The first little Martians may well be born in the first years of the existence of an earthly colony on the Red Planet. It is assumed that the population of Mars will increase not only due to immigrants from Earth, but also due to natural growth. For those born directly on Mars, it will be much easier to adapt to the difficult Martian conditions. But to have children, naturally, it will be necessary to create a highly professional medical care system for new Martians.

Flights and resettlement to Mars are still only a theory and a dream. But in the near future these plans may be realized. And only then will practice show whether human flights to Mars are possible, and whether it is realistic to survive on the Red Planet. But it is human nature to overcome obstacles, otherwise it would not have survived even on its home planet. That is why today there is hope that already in this century not only the Earth, but also one of its closest neighboring planets will be inhabited, which will mark the beginning of a new era of humanity itself.

Anyone who is not even very good at astronomy knows how long it takes to fly to Mars – it’s a long time. However, in the world of professional space flights, much depends on what the mission of the flight is, what kind of vehicle is flying: a manned one or just a probe, and other factors.

Classic indicators of a flight to Mars:

• Fly to Mars for at least one hundred and fifteen days (using current technology). You can fly to Mars at the speed of light in at least 3 minutes (182 seconds)
• We will have to overcome fifty-five million kilometers.
• With flight speed, everything is even more complicated, because so far the most advanced spacecraft cannot fly faster than twenty thousand kilometers per hour.

However, everything is in order! Let's find out whether the basic parameters we indicated above are plausible. Let's find out how long it takes to fly to Mars in terms of time, distance, and at what speed you can fly to Mars. And what is being done to speed up the flight, make it more economical and safer.

Why did it take so long?

First of all, we need to clarify that Mars is located fifty-five million kilometers from our planetary home. So even if the Earth and this planet stop moving, they will have to fly for one hundred and fifteen days in a straight line, since the speed of aircraft does not yet exceed twenty thousand kilometers per hour. In reality, both Mars and the Earth revolve around our star. Therefore, you cannot just take and launch a ship directly to your permanent residence address.

The flight path is thought out in such a way that the advance principle works. That is, in essence, the device is flying to a place where Mars is not yet, but will be by the time the ship arrives.

Another problem is fuel. Flight requires an incredible amount of fuel. It would be nice to have a bottomless supply. But for now we have to be content with the current capabilities. If there were no obstacles to this, scientists would accelerate the ships to enormous speed until the middle of the journey, and then the nozzles would turn around and slow down the ship. In theory, everything is possible. Only then will you have to build an aircraft of incredible size with an incredibly huge fuel tank.

Ideas to speed up flights to Mars

To be honest, the engineers are faced not with the task of acceleration, but with the task of fuel economy. Just don’t think that we are talking about the health of the environment. It's all about real cost savings.

NASA today uses the Homan trajectory method, which consists in developing a method that leads to significant fuel savings. The method was developed by Mr. Goman back in 1925. It involves delivering ships not directly to the red planet, but into the orbit of the Sun. At a certain time, this orbit will intersect with the Martian one, as a result of which the ship will immediately be tied to Mars.

It would seem that everything is so simple. But in fact, such manipulations hide very serious work on precise calculations.

True, there is another option. Try the ballistic capture method, when a spacecraft is launched in the orbit of Mars towards the planet. When the red planet approaches, its own gravity captures the ship, resulting in significant fuel savings. But not the time that is required much more than usual.

Promising fuels

Use of nuclear missiles

Nuclear missiles are, of course, a good prospect. Their work can be carried out by heating a liquefied fuel, for example, hydrogen. After the thermal process, it will be necessary to eject this fuel from the nozzle at high speed. And this will create the necessary traction. In theory, this type of fuel could reduce flight time to seven Earth months.

Application of magnetism

Another option to speed up is to use the capabilities of a variable-momentum magnetic plasma rocket. The movement of the device will occur due to an electromagnetic device, where the fuel is heated and ionized using a radio wave. This creates ionized gas or, in other words, plasma, which subsequently accelerates ships. And work on such a device is already underway. In the future, they plan to mount it on the ISS to maintain the station in orbit. And if everything goes smoothly with the testing of the device, it will help shorten the journey to Mars by up to five months.

Antimatter

The use of antimatter properties is probably the most extreme theory. To obtain antimatter, you need to use a particle accelerator. Because when particles of antimatter and matter collide, an unimaginably strong release of colossal energy occurs (according to Einstein), the speed of the ship will increase so much that it will be possible to reach the red planet in just forty-five days. And this will require about ten milligrams of antimatter. But the production of such a small quantity will cost two hundred and fifty million dollars.

Today, scientists are working not only on these, but also on other very interesting and promising projects that will help win back several months of time.

Plans of Russian scientists

Russian leading scientist Academician Grigoriev claims that it is possible to get to Mars in thirty-eight days. To do this you will have to use ion engines. However, it is believed that such a project would cost a lot of money. But the scientist boldly stated that this money is much insignificant than the military budget of many countries.

We've already been to Mars

NASA's Mariner 4 was the first to visit Mars. It was launched in 1964, and it arrived on the red planet in 1965. During the flight, the device took twenty-one photographs. It took Mariner 4 two hundred and twenty-eight days to reach Mars.

Another ship, Mariner 6, set off for the planet in February 1969 and ended up on Mars in July. He will need one hundred and fifty-six days.

Mariner 7 was even faster, reaching the planet in one hundred and thirty-one days.

There was also Mariner 9, which successfully entered Martian orbit in 1971. The ship spent one hundred and sixty-seven days in flight until its arrival point.

This is how the study of Mars goes. Each device sent to the planet spends an average of one hundred and fifty to three hundred days on the road. The latest one, Curiosity Lander (2012), reached the red planet in two hundred and fifty-three days.

One way flight! The most interesting things are yet to come!

The Mars One company intends to send a group of astronauts to the Red Planet not just to fly in orbit, but to build the first colony-settlement on Martian soil. But for the pioneers this journey will be one way. They will never see their family, loved ones, friends again, will not talk to them on the phone, and will not even be able to use the Internet.

Despite the frightening future, there were still more than two hundred thousand brave souls who applied to participate in the mission. The project selected about one thousand fifty-eight applicants. Of these, the first four winners of the preparatory stage will go to the planet in 2025. Then, every two Earth years, other marsonauts will join them.

But all these are just general words. But what actually awaits those who venture into the unknown? And how will the opinion of each of us, who until now wanted to be in their place, change when we learn about the upcoming trials?

Long and not at all fun flight

The Mars One company said that the flight to the red planet will most likely take at least seven months, or even eight. Much will depend on the current position of the Earth relative to Mars. And throughout this long journey, the astronauts will have to put up with extremely small, cramped space on the ship and the absence of all the amenities familiar to modern people.

It's terrible, but even ordinary bathing will become an unaffordable luxury. And so, without ever washing, eating exclusively canned food, under the constant hum of fans, computer systems and the noise of life support systems, these true heroes will have to try not to go crazy and fly to Mars in full health.

And that's not all the troubles. There is such a terrible thing as a solar storm. And if it happens along the way, the astronauts will have to imprison themselves in an even narrower space that will protect them from the harmful Sun.

A real test for nerves

Our mention of the probable mental instability that threatens every astronaut during flight is a very real threat. The Mars-500 project was implemented on the Russian platform. Six cosmonauts took part in it, four of whom showed the development of a depressive state during five hundred and twenty days of being in a confined space. I started having problems sleeping. In one person, even due to chronic lack of sleep, attention and ability to concentrate suffered.

In fact, no astronaut has ever spent so much time in outer space. Moreover, without communication and other conditions, as close as possible to the usual comfortable life, albeit in zero gravity. You are not allowed to stay on the ISS for more than six months simply because there is loss of bone and muscle tissue.

Let us remind you that marsonauts will have to spend more than two hundred days in flight - more than six months.

Martian passage of time

A day on Mars lasts only forty minutes longer than on Earth. On the scale of one month, maybe not a terrible difference. But in fact, it will be noticeable for the residents of the future colony. Moreover, the Martian year has six hundred and eighty-seven days. It turns out that over time, the newly-minted Martians will be twice as young as their peers on Earth.

Feeling of hopelessness

Astronauts who had traveled to the Moon behind them said that as they moved away from their home planet, they felt a feeling of confusion and some frustration growing inside their chests and in their heads. What will happen to those who go to Mars, to which the flight takes much longer than to the Moon?!

Martian gravity

The gravity awaiting astronauts on the Red Planet is what will make returning to Earth, home, impossible. The fact is that the Martian gravitational force is only a third of our planetary force. In other words, if a person’s weight on Earth is one hundred kilograms, then in the conditions of the new colony it will drop to thirty-eight. As a result, the muscles will atrophy, the bones will weaken, and after some time the person will no longer be able to return to normal life on his home planet.

The situation is similar on the ISS. But astronauts are saved by the short duration of their stay in space.

Reproduction on Mars

The organizers of a mission to Mars to create a colony there advise future settlers not to try to conceive children. There are several reasons. First of all, initially there will be no conditions for normal family life on the planet. Then, nothing is known about how conception and fetal development can proceed after so many months in flight, and even in the new Martian conditions.

Sport is our everything!

In order to remain capable of at least some action, to prevent the muscles from completely atrophying, and to prevent the bones from adapting to simplified Martian conditions, one will have to stably maintain shape. One more thing needs to be understood. In space, the heart and other organs begin to work somewhat differently. In any case, you will have to spend several hours playing sports. Even on the Space Station, astronauts have to train for up to two hours a day.

Martian reality

The worst is yet to come. Training, procreation issues, and other things described above are not the most frightening prospect. Diseases! No one will be able to get medical care on Mars. Maybe in the future, in the conditions of an already developed colony, it will be possible to provide the settlers with decent care. But not at the beginning of the mission. Even the most minor injuries and illnesses will have to be avoided.

Martian infection

Many will decide that there is nothing to become infected with in space. Well, spaceships go through a long process of disinfection. This is done in order to exclude the possibility of terrestrial bacteria getting into conditions, for example, of the Martian climate. But this fact should not make future settlers of Mars very happy. If they catch some kind of infection on this planet, it is not a fact that even if the opportunity arises to return home, the Earth will accept such a person back. After all, no one will know how to treat an extraterrestrial disease. And the spread of the space epidemic must be prevented at the very beginning.

There will be no more favorite dishes

The project involves learning how to grow vegetables in the Martian climate. A very important initiative, since the food taken from Earth will quickly run out. But only spinach, beans, and lettuce can be grown. But you will have to give up animal food for a long time. Well, you should completely forget about fried potatoes, cheeses, etc.

Martian atmosphere

The Martian atmosphere is in an extremely rarefied state - about a percent of the earth's. Ninety-six percent of the air on Mars is carbon dioxide with trace amounts of oxygen. So the marsonauts will not be able to go out to get some fresh air.

But the tests don't end there. There are terrible sandstorms on the planet. They can last from several hours to several days and cover almost the entire planet. Sand rising at this time can be very toxic to the human body. So, if you want to take a walk, you can do it in calm weather and only in spacesuits.

Silence and no Internet

If you decide to send some information from Mars, the delay will be from three to twenty-two minutes. Therefore, telephone communications are not effective. The text message will be sent with a six-minute delay.

There will be no normal Internet, except perhaps a few sites loaded on Earth. And according to an insider, Mars One says that settlers will have access to their favorite resources, but full access to the Internet is not expected.

Radiation

Thanks to the Curiosity rover, it was possible to find out what level of radiation astronauts will be exposed to on the Red Planet. The new house does not show cordiality here either. The rover transmitted data that showed six hundred sixty-two (±108) millisieverts - two-thirds of the thousand millisievert limit. But on Mars there is no magnetic field that could somehow resist such a terrible influence. So with every walk on the surface of the planet, a person will expose himself to terrible danger.

Don't you understand yet?

Once you get to Mars, you will die there!

You will either die from diseases that cannot be cured. Or from careless walks under the influence of radiation. In the end, even if nothing special happens to you, you will still die far from those whom you loved all your life, whom you treasured.

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