How Many Miles is Mars From Earth?

Mars and Earth are never the same distance apart for more than a second at a time. That makes answering ”how many miles is Mars from Earth?” a little difficult. So, how about I just give you the closest and farthest distances that the two planets ever experience. When the two planets are at their closest, they can be 54.6 million km apart. That converts to 33,926,867.096 miles. At their most distant, the two planets can be 401 million km apart. That converts to 249,169,848.087 miles.

Mars follows one of the most highly eccentric orbits in our Solar System, but it orbits the Sun farther than the Earth. That allows the Earth to lap Mars every two years and 2 months. When this happens, it is a prime opportunity for spacecraft to be launched to the Red Planet. That explains why there is a flurry of Mars destined activity every 26 months.

With current common use technology, it takes in the neighborhood of eight months for a spacecraft to arrive in Martian orbit. That makes a return mission nearly a two year long venture, give or take a month for exploration. That makes it too long a trip for manned flights, but there is quite a bit of activity focused on shortening that trip. The Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) is an electro-magnetic thruster, which should bridge the gap between high-thrust, low-specific impulse, and low-thrust, high-specific impulse propulsion systems. VASIMR is being developed by the Ad Astra Rocket Company. A ship with VASIMR and 12 megawatts of electrical power could reach Mars in about four months. With 200 megawatts of electrical power, the return trip could be only 39 days. The electrical power can be generated and stored through the use of solar panels. VASIMR has been tested and may be available by 2013.

Once the distance and flight length are overcome, scientists have a stated goal of long term exploration of the surface. That means a space station in situ. That opens up a host of other obstacles. The main being oxygen and water. As with many things in science and spaceflight answering one question creates others. Knowing ”how many miles is Mars from Earth” created a desire to reach the planet. Once that was done, their was a desire to be the first human on the surface. Once that is conquered, who knows where the human mind will go.

We’ve written many articles about distances in the Solar System for Universe Today. Here’s an article about Saturn’s distance from the Sun, and here’s an article about Neptune’s distance from the Sun.

If you’d like more info on Mars, check out Hubblesite’s News Releases about Mars, and here’s a link to the NASA Mars Exploration home page.

We’ve also recorded an episode of Astronomy Cast all about Mars. Listen here, Episode 52: Mars.

Sources:
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/watchtheskies/18jun_approachingmars.html
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/allaboutmars/nightsky/nightsky022005/
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/allaboutmars/nightsky/nightsky03/
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/382362main_40%20-%2020090801.1.mars2019.pdf