American entrepreneur and founder of SpaceX Elon Musk is working on the creation of a new super-heavy rocket, which, according to him, will go to the Red Planet in 2022. The launch vehicle is still codenamed BFR. According to the designers, it will become the most powerful rocket in history and surpass all previous developments by SpaceX and NASA. It is planned to use it to deliver passengers and cargo to Mars and other celestial bodies, as well as for fast travel on Earth.
The rockets, which are now being built by leading space companies, do not yet guarantee people the opportunity to get to the surface of Mars and other planets. One of the main problems of manned flights outside Earth's orbit is radiation, which requires additional protection. Each kilogram of such protection means an additional 100 kilograms of takeoff weight and increased volumes of fuel for launch. So while engineers working on missions outside Earth's orbit are exploring possible protection measures against the effects of radiation.
See the infographics of AiF.ru for how long it took famous spacecraft to reach different planets.
Elena Slobodyan