What is the shortest straight-line distance separating Earth and Mars?
Answer
About 33.9 million miles
The closest possible physical separation between the Earth and the Red Planet, measured as the shortest straight-line distance, is stated to be approximately 33.9 million miles. However, it is crucial to understand that launching a spacecraft directly along this shortest line when they are at this proximity is virtually never done in practice. This is because the immense energy requirements needed for such a direct launch make it impractical compared to the more nuanced, energy-optimized trajectories dictated by orbital mechanics.
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