By car to Mars: about 260 years
By car (100 km/h) it would take about 260 years to get to Mars – at the average distance of 225,000,000 km, non-stop and in a straight line.
Because the distance keeps changing, the travel time ranges from 62 years (closest) to 460 years (farthest).
For comparison
Had you set off in 1769, when James Watt patented his steam engine, you would be arriving about now.
How it is calculated
- Closest distance
- 54,600,000 km
- Average distance
- 225,000,000 km
- Farthest distance
- 401,000,000 km
- Speed
- 100 km/h
- Formula
- Travel time = distance ÷ speed
- Result
- 225,000,000 km ÷ 100 km/h ≈ 260 years
Assumption: constant speed in a straight line, with no stops, acceleration or braking. Real spacecraft fly curved paths and use the gravity of planets.
Good to know: Mars
Earth and Mars orbit the Sun at different speeds. About every 26 months Earth overtakes Mars and the two are closest (opposition). When they are on opposite sides of the Sun, they are more than 400 million km apart – which is why Mars missions can only launch in these windows.
→ Fact sheet: MarsMars: travel time by every vehicle
| Vehicle | Speed | Travel time | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car | 100 km/h | 260 years | 62 years – 460 years |
| Airplane | 900 km/h | 29 years | 6.9 years – 51 years |
| Rocket | 61,000 km/h | 150 days | 37 days – 270 days |
| Speed of light | 1,079,252,849 km/h | 12.5 minutes | 3 minutes – 22 minutes |