Part 3/8:
This vast distance complicates the logistics of sending a crewed mission. The current technology estimates a one-way flight to Mars could take between 7 months to a year, demanding stringent preparations for food, medical supplies, and life support for the crew throughout the journey. Unlike lunar missions, which enjoyed instant communication access, missions to Mars face significant latency with any communications taking up to 20 minutes either way — meaning any real-time assistance from mission control is fundamentally impossible.