What is a porkchop plot?

A chart of launch energy against departure date and flight time. Its closed contours look like a pork chop; the cheapest trajectories sit in the middle.

How often can you launch to Mars?

Roughly every 26 months, when Earth and Mars line up. Venus windows come about every 19 months and Jupiter about every 13 months.

Characteristic energy: the square of the speed a spacecraft has left after escaping Earth. Mars missions typically need about 8 to 20 km²/s².

Interplanetary launch-window calculator

Porkchop plots of the best departure and arrival dates from Earth to Mars, Venus and Jupiter.

How it works

For every departure date and flight time, a Lambert solver finds the transfer orbit between Earth and the target planet and reports the launch energy (C3) and arrival speed. Windows repeat every synodic period: about 26 months for Mars, 19 months for Venus and 13 months for Jupiter.

Plot launch windows to Mars, Venus and Jupiter. Create a free Martian Alpha account or sign in.

About the interplanetary launch-window calculator

Porkchop plots for trips from Earth to Mars, Venus and Jupiter. Every point is a trajectory solved with a Lambert solver from published planetary orbits: pick a departure date and a flight time and see the launch energy (C3), departure burn and arrival speed, plus the next launch windows for the coming decade.

What is a porkchop plot?: A chart of launch energy against departure date and flight time. Its closed contours look like a pork chop; the cheapest trajectories sit in the middle.
How often can you launch to Mars?: Roughly every 26 months, when Earth and Mars line up. Venus windows come about every 19 months and Jupiter about every 13 months.
What is C3?: Characteristic energy: the square of the speed a spacecraft has left after escaping Earth. Mars missions typically need about 8 to 20 km²/s².

Data may be delayed. Not financial advice.