How long does it take to get to Mars?
Quick Answer
A trip to Mars usually takes about seven months, depending on the planets positions and the spacecraft route.
The Full Story
Spacecraft do not fly straight to Mars; they follow a curved, fuel-efficient path called a Hohmann transfer orbit that meets the planet where it will be months later. Suitable launch windows open about every 26 months, when Earth and Mars are well aligned. Most missions take between six and nine months. NASA Perseverance rover, for example, launched on 30 July 2020 and landed on 18 February 2021, a journey of about 203 days. The distance between the planets varies from about 55 million to 400 million kilometres, so radio signals take between about 3 and 22 minutes to travel one way.
Key Facts
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"How Long Does It Take to Get to Mars — The Road to the Red Planet"