The space probe Mariner IV was designed to travel from Earth to Mars in an elliptic orbit around the Sun (mass MS) with its perihelion equal to the radius of Earth’s orbit, RE, and aphelion equal to the radius of Mars’ orbit, RM = 1.5RE. Both planets’ orbits can be assumed to be approximately circular. Neglect the gravitational effects of both planets on Mariner IV. How long did it take Mariner IV to reach Mars?

The space probe Mariner IV was designed to travel from Earth to Mars in an elliptic orbit around the Sun (mass MS) with its perihelion equal to the radius of Earth’s orbit, RE, and aphelion equal to the radius of Mars’ orbit, RM = 1.5RE. Both planets’ orbits can be assumed to be approximately circular. Neglect the gravitational effects of both planets on Mariner IV. How long did it take Mariner IV to reach Mars?