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A comment on Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species [video]. Parent comment
For example, Mars Science Laboratory did the same, and it didn't need to spend fuel trying to enter orbit.
http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/timeline/approach/
The closing velocity of spacecraft and Mars is nowhere near 25 km/s.
As another example, Apollo did a direct entry to Earth as well.
Even when entering orbit, you can sometimes use aerobraking or aerocapture, though it's either limited in delta vee or dangerous if you go lower.
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For example, Mars Science Laboratory did the same, and it didn't need to spend fuel trying to enter orbit.
http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/timeline/approach/
The closing velocity of spacecraft and Mars is nowhere near 25 km/s.
As another example, Apollo did a direct entry to Earth as well.
Even when entering orbit, you can sometimes use aerobraking or aerocapture, though it's either limited in delta vee or dangerous if you go lower.