How much would you weigh on Mars?
Mars has a surface gravity of 3.71 m/s², or 37.9% of Earth\'s. A 75 kg adult Earth weight becomes 28.5 kg Mars weight. That\'s heavier than the Moon (where you\'d be 12.4 kg) but well under half your terrestrial weight — light enough to feel a genuine spring in your step but heavy enough that movement still feels natural.
Why Mars has such low gravity
Mars is about half the size of Earth and only one-tenth its mass. Gravity scales with mass and inversely with distance from the centre, so the smaller, less dense planet pulls you down with much less force. Mars\'s lower gravity is part of why its atmosphere is so thin — over billions of years, the weaker pull let lighter gas molecules escape into space.
What you\'d experience on Mars
- Walking: easier than Earth, with a noticeable spring. Astronaut training simulations describe it as feeling powerful and effortless.
- Jumping: roughly 2.6× higher than on Earth. Slam dunks become trivial. Olympic high-jump record holders could clear nearly six metres.
- Atmosphere: 1% of Earth\'s pressure and 95% CO₂. You\'d still need a pressurised suit, but the gravity itself is friendly.
- Day length: 24 hours 39 minutes — almost identical to Earth, which is one of many reasons Mars is the prime colonisation candidate.
What we still don\'t know
The biggest open question for Mars colonisation isn\'t getting there — it\'s whether human bodies can thrive long-term in 38% gravity. Microgravity on the ISS produces severe bone density loss (1–2% per month) and muscle atrophy. Mars gravity is much closer to Earth\'s than zero-g, but we have zero data on how the body adapts to 0.38g over years or decades. The first Mars settlers will be the experiment.
Mars vs other destinations
Mars sits comfortably between the gentleness of the Moon (16.5% Earth) and the comfort of Earth itself. Jupiter would crush you at 253% Earth gravity; Saturn is surprisingly close to home at 107%. Compare your weight on every solar-system body on the planet weight calculator.