  Interest in the exploration of, and the establishment of a human settlement,
on Mars is rapidly growing. To achieve this, rapid transit will be required to
bring crucial cargo. Current missions to Mars take 150 days, which would be too
long for emergencies or urgent needs. Therefore, we propose the use of a
cutting-edge technology that could allow 20-day transit times: laser energy
driven light sails. This propulsion method uses a ground-based laser array to
propel a spacecraft attached to a light sail to high speeds, enabling missions
that are much faster than current missions. By utilizing a MATLAB model and a
laser propulsion tool, we visualize and determine optimal trajectories and
departure windows for such missions. We discuss and show that these missions
are possible during specific launch windows in a 27-month timeframe between
2030-2032, but also have practical challenges. During solar conjunction, such
missions are limited by solar proximity, but are possible during all orbital
phases if the transit time requirement is relaxed. Laser arrays capable of
generating 13 GW are necessary to enable 20-day missions with a 5 kg spacecraft
near conjunction, but only 0.55 GW is required near opposition. The spacecraft
has a hyperbolic trajectory and is not bound to the solar system during
transit. A challenge for future work involves the deceleration and entry,
descent, and landing phases. A laser array on Mars could address some of this
challenge. Spacecraft mass capabilities can be increased by optimizing the
laser array and sail properties. Multiple spacecraft may be boosted
simultaneously to carry more payload at lower costs. This work is intended to
serve as proof of concept that lightweight payloads can be transported via such
missions. Technologies enabling 20-day missions can be developed in the future
and be applied to advanced missions to celestial bodies and interstellar space.

Space Physics