Asteroid data unlocks ultra-fast Mars trips with near-term tech

A Live Science report describes a Brazilian cosmologist's idea that early asteroid trajectory data—once used for impact risk assessment—could guide much faster Earth-to-Mars transfers. In simulations tied to Mars oppositions in 2031, a round trip could be as short as about 153 days (roughly 33 days to Mars, 30 days on the surface, and 90 days back), or a longer 226-day option, both far shorter than today’s timelines. Feasibility depends on mission specifics, propulsion, and spacecraft design, but the study notes that next‑gen rockets such as SpaceX’s Starship or Blue Origin’s New Glenn could potentially enable such fast trajectories.