What is the maximum one-way communication delay time between Earth and Mars?
Answer
Up to 22 minutes
The distance separating Earth and Mars is dynamic, fluctuating between approximately 33 million miles and over 250 million miles as the planets move in their respective orbits. This changing distance directly dictates the travel time for radio signals, which travel at the speed of light. The longest possible one-way travel time for a signal to travel from Earth to Mars, or vice versa, can stretch up to 22 minutes. This constraint is critical because it means a command sent from ground control takes up to 22 minutes to reach the rover, and an acknowledgment or data packet takes another 22 minutes (or less, depending on the instantaneous separation) to return.
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How Mars rover Curiosity communicates with Earth - YouTube
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