Trending Now - Scientist Stumbles Upon Revolutionary Mars Travel Shortcut

WHO:

Live Science - Marcelo de Oliveira Souza, a cosmologist at the State University of Northern Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, is the study author.

WHAT:

Live Science - A new study suggests that astronauts could complete a round trip to Mars in less than a year, potentially cutting current mission timelines in half.

Live Science - Current mission profiles take roughly seven to 10 months to reach Mars, with a full round trip stretching nearly three years due to alignment windows.

Live Science - The study published in the journal Acta Astronautica indicates that a round-trip mission from Earth to Mars could be completed in just 153 days, or roughly five months, during the 2031 alignment.

Live Science - A spacecraft could depart Earth on April 20, 2031, arrive at Mars by May 23 after a 33-day journey, spend about 30 days on the surface, depart June 22, and return to Earth by September 20, with the return leg taking roughly 90 days.

Live Science - A lower-energy alternative mission could last about 226 days, or approximately 7.5 months.

WHERE:

Live Science - The study involves interplanetary travel between Earth and Mars.

WHEN:

Live Science - The study was published online in April.

Live Science - The calculations for rapid travel were based on future Mars oppositions in 2027, 2029, and 2031.

WHY:

Live Science - The study draws inspiration from early, imprecise orbital estimates of near-Earth asteroids, which may contain geometric clues for faster interplanetary routes.

Live Science - Souza stated, "Maybe this can change the idea that we need more than two years to go to Mars and return."

HOW:

Live Science - Souza used a standard method called Lambert analysis to calculate paths between two points in space, constraining those paths to remain within about 5 degrees of the asteroid's orbital tilt.

Live Science - The study suggests that a very fast trip from Earth to Mars is geometrically possible if a spacecraft follows a path similar to the asteroid's early orbital plane, requiring departure speeds of around 32.5 kilometers per second.

(UPDATED May 6, 2026 15:48 UTC)

A new study led by Marcelo de Oliveira Souza, a cosmologist at the State University of Northern Rio de Janeiro, suggests that astronauts could complete a round trip to Mars in just 153 days during the 2031 alignment, significantly reducing current mission timelines. The proposed mission would involve a spacecraft departing Earth on April 20, 2031, reaching Mars by May 23, spending about 30 days on the surface, and returning to Earth by September 20, with the return leg taking roughly 90 days. Souza's calculations, based on early orbital estimates of near-Earth asteroids, indicate that this rapid travel is geometrically feasible if the spacecraft follows a specific path, requiring speeds of around 32.5 kilometers per second.