Part 2/8:
At the heart of the challenge of reaching Mars lies the sheer extent of distance. Compared to the Moon, Mars is significantly further away. The average distance to the Moon is approximately 384,000 kilometers (238,857 miles), while the distance to Mars can vary significantly, ranging from a minimum of 56 million kilometers (about 34.8 million miles) to as much as 400 million kilometers (about 248 million miles). To put it in perspective, traveling to Mars equates to walking not just a kilometer but 140 kilometers (87 miles) through inhospitable terrain with no provisions.