The moon is a natural satellite of the earth. Its main influence is mainly expressed in the form of ebbs and flows, this is due to the fact that gravity creates two bulges on opposite sides of the planet. It is also located both close and far from the Earth. How long does it take to fly to the moon? Scientists had to spend a huge amount of time to calculate the optimal flight paths. Of great importance is how aircraft, and the type of fuel used, the chosen take-off and landing technique also has a great influence. As a result, it may take a person from several days to eight hours to reach the surface of the satellite.

The nuances of the flight

Accurate distance measurement was made possible by the use of laser equipment, but even in ancient times, the astronomer Hipparchus was able to calculate that the distance from the Earth to the Moon is approximately 380,000 kilometers, being the closest to the truth. It is the distance, as well as the location of the celestial body, that are the main criteria in calculating the flight duration. In search of an optimal solution, scientists have created several theories according to which it is possible to optimize the amount of fuel spent and increase the final landing accuracy.

The Moon's orbit is elliptical, which causes the distance between the satellite and the Earth to change constantly. It looks like this:

• perigee is the closest point when the satellite comes as close as possible to the planet, in the case of the Moon, the distance is from 356,400 to 370,400 km;
• apogee - the opposite point of the orbit, when the Moon, on the contrary, is most distant from the Earth, in this option the distance will be more than 404,000 km;
• the mean distance, or semi-major axis, is 384,999 km.

In order to overcome such a “small” distance by the standards of space by an airplane at a speed of 800 km / h, it will take about 20 days. It is known that the Apollo spacecraft could fly to the moon in just three days, which is already much faster. If you manage to overclock the device to the second space velocity(11 km / s), then a person will be able to reach the surface of the satellite in 10 hours.

The most technologically advanced flight to the Moon was the launch of the ESA SMART-1 probe. It took him 410 days to get to the satellite. The ion engine, revolutionary for 2003, was used as a power plant, the main advantage of which was fuel efficiency. For the entire journey, the probe spent only 82 kilograms of fuel, securing the title of the most economical and at the same time the longest for this method.

It took the Chinese satellite Chang'e-1 five days to reach the orbit of the moon, using ordinary rocket engines. However, he had to stay in Earth orbit for some time in order to get the correct coordinates of the point of departure. This can be considered a very good result, especially considering that this is a standard technology.

The fastest manned flight was the Apollo mission. The astronauts set off on the Saturn V and reached the lunar surface within three days. The expedition included the famous Neil Armstrong. This flight was of great importance for the United States, since the entire national idea was based on it, which required the completion of the task of conquering the Earth's satellite. Its successful implementation marked America's victory over the USSR in the space race.

However, flights can be carried out much faster. A satellite launched under NASA's New Horizons project related to the study of Pluto managed to cover 380,000 kilometers in just 8 hours and 35 minutes. This became possible due to the fact that from the very beginning the satellite had a strong acceleration of 58,000 km / h, this step was due to the task of overcoming solar gravity, which made it possible to reach the Moon in a more or less acceptable time frame for humans. However, one should take into account the overloads that the body experiences during such a flight, and this, in turn, seriously complicates the whole task, making it a real puzzle for engineers.

Conclusion

However, no obstacles and difficulties could prevent the formation of travel agencies that are able to send a person into space for the weekend. There are only a few such tours, and among them there are both long ones, when ion engines are used, and fast ones, in which case the client will be returned back in just a few days. However, it should be taken into account what funds are allocated for the implementation of at least one flight. On the this moment Space is too expensive even for states, so it’s not worth talking about ordinary, even relatively rich people.

Development modern technologies proceeds at a very fast pace. Soon humanity will be able to begin colonization and the construction of long-term bases at the nearest space objects. However, the question "How long does it take to fly to the moon?" will be open due to the emergence of new, more efficient vehicles, as well as better fuel, which will provide much more energy, which will greatly increase the speed of current spacecraft.

Agree, Space, alien planets, star clusters - this is a very, very exciting topic. For example, what is the distance to the moon? Surely many of you once asked this question! Or what is its origin? And what does it consist of? Maybe someone even lives there? Well, at least microorganisms? The distance to the moon has always interested humanity.

The development of ideas about the moon

This celestial object has attracted the attention of people since ancient times. And at the dawn of the development of astronomy, the Moon became one of the first objects for observation and study. Information about attempts to trace the pattern of its movement through the firmament and explain them goes back to the Sumerian, Babylonian cultures, ancient Chinese and Egyptian civilizations. And, of course, to ancient Greece. The first known attempt to calculate the distance to the Moon (and also to the Sun) was made by Aristarchus of Samos.

This astronomer guessed that both of the above-mentioned celestial bodies were spherical in shape, and that the Moon does not emit light, but only reflects the rays of the Sun. Based on observations of the phases of the moon, he compiled a set of geometric equations and calculated that the distance from the Earth to the Moon is less than the distance from our planet to the Sun by about twenty times. It is interesting that the ancient mathematician was mistaken in the same twenty times. More accurate data was obtained by his follower Hipparchus, who lived in the 2nd century BC. e. He calculated, by means of measurements similar to Aristarkhov's, that the distance to the Moon is about 30 times the radius of the globe, that is, about 380,000 kilometers. Later, these data were repeatedly refined, but Hipparchus was almost completely accurate. By using modern systems laser ranging (which operate on the principle of a reflected beam and then calculating the distance traveled by this beam with a known speed) it is possible to calculate the distance to the moon to within centimeters. It fluctuates constantly, but averages 384,403 kilometers. For example, light takes a little over one second to cover this path, and spacecraft Apollo, which delivered

on our companion of the first people, did it in a little more than three days. However, the problem here is not only in the speed of the apparatus itself, but in the need to calculate the movement of the Moon, fly along a certain arc and land in the required place. Thus, the path follows an arc, not a straight line. The record time for which a man-made spacecraft has reached a satellite today is 8 hours and 35 minutes. It was the New Horizons spacecraft launched by NASA.

Is the distance from the Earth to the Moon increasing?

Yes! It really is. Our satellite moves as if in a spiral orbit. And every year the distance to it increases by about 4 centimeters. This is quite a bit for an individual observer. However, our distant ancestors will see the Moon much less. Moreover, the weakening gravitational interaction with it will entail a decrease in the activity of the tides on Earth and will significantly transform the climatic conditions on our planet.

It's no secret that people have been dreaming about space flights for a long time - the unknown, vast expanses fascinate and beckon, but space tourism has not yet become a mass industry. Why? Yes, because getting to another planet is not so easy. Even the Moon, which seems to be within easy reach when we look at it at night, is many kilometers away. How long does it take to fly to the moon?

Distance from Earth to Moon

The average distance from the Earth to the Moon is 384,399 km.

We say average because the Moon's orbit is not circular, but elliptical - which means that the distance between the Earth and the Moon varies. At perigee - the closest point to the Earth - the distance is 363,104 km, at apogee - the most distant point - 405,696 km.

So, we know the distance, so to find the time it takes to get to the moon, you just need to divide it by the speed. Based on this fact, we get:

• It will take 9 years to walk to the Moon (and you will have to walk continuously at a speed of 5 km / h).
• By car (if we take 100 km / h as an average speed and, again, do not make stops), you can reach the Moon in 160 days.
• Airplane ( average speed 800 km / h) will fly in 20 days.
• Modern spaceship the Apollo type will be able to reach the moon in three days.

As you can see, the path is not short, and not everyone can withstand so much time of continuous flight, while it is worth considering that the flight would cost a fabulous amount of money.

The measurement of the distance from the Earth to the Moon was carried out in ancient times: the Greeks tried to do this repeatedly.

This information was necessary for a person to get a complete picture of the idea of ​​the Universe.

In addition to calculating the distance to the Earth's satellite, the ancient Greeks made calculations to calculate its radius.

Over time, technological progress has developed and today all measurements are known to man.

Since ancient times, people have been interested in what the cosmos and the Moon are like - from time immemorial it has been a natural satellite of our planet.

People were interested in how far it was and how long to fly to it, using various calculations for this.

To date, to measure the distance by methods used in Everyday life- unreal.

For this, trigonometric formulas and calculations are used.

Consider how ancient people determined this indicator, recalling that it is measured from the center of the satellite:

1. The first who tried to get through to the truth was Aristarchus of Samos.

   On the basis of geometric equations and indicators obtained using goniometric instruments, the scientist conducted a study.

   To begin with, he calculated the difference in the distance to the satellite and the Sun, after which he multiplied this result by the radius of the Earth. His calculations showed that the distance is 509680 in kilometers.

2. In the 2nd century BC, the astronomer Hipparchus of Nicaea also began to calculate.

   He made observations of the Moon at its various phases and came to the conclusion that the distance to the Earth would be 382,260 kilometers.

Based on angular measurements, Hipparchus found that during an eclipse, the Sun and Moon have the same indicators.

After that, he calculated the difference and derived a formula by which he determined the average distance.

Average distance in kilometers

It is impossible to indicate exact distance indicators in kilometers: this is due to the elliptical shape of the orbit along which the satellite moves.

This suggests that for some time it moves away from the planet, after which it approaches again.

Note! There are several numerical results that allow you to describe the mileage of the distance to the celestial satellite.

The actual dimensions can vary within 15%, which is associated with different satellite locations.

The most full moon is much closer to the Earth than when it is in its growth phase.

Known indicators will help you find out the distance that scientists have measured:

Flight time

To date, a large number of flights have already been made in order to judge how long it takes to travel to the satellite.

Scientists made calculations based on the speed on the rocket and observation of the astronauts.

Here are some numbers:

• The slowest flight will take 1 year 1 month and 2 weeks, which was proved by the experiment.

  In 2003, on the basis of a station with a revolutionary ion engine called ESA SMART-1, a lunar probe was launched.

• The average flight took 5 days when the Chinese satellite Chang'e-1 was sent into orbit in 2007 using standard rocket engines.
• A manned flight with a man lasted 3 days, 3 hours and 49 minutes, when the Americans first set foot on the surface of the Moon in 1969 - the Saturn-5 spacecraft launched from a pad in Florida.
• The shortest path was mastered by the Americans in the New Horizons project: the speed of the satellite is 58 thousand kilometers.

To overcome the gravity of the Sun, Nasa used a huge acceleration.

Important! Soviet satellite Luna-1 made its first flight, it passed 500 kilometers from the Moon, reaching the place in 2 days.

Today, travel space companies around the world offer trips to the Moon of short or long duration.

Any calculations made by man were surrounded by many interesting facts, stories. Measurement of space and distance to the Moon is not without such cases.

Here are some interesting examples related to the history of calculating the flight time, the distance from the Earth to the satellite:

1. According to legend, the moon was formed from the collision of the planet Earth with another planet. Then an orbit was formed, from which a yellow-white satellite was formed.
2. The satellite always faces the planet with one side.
3. The largest crater is called Bailey, its diameter is 295 kilometers.
4. During one of the expeditions, the American Apollo 6 brought several hundred kilograms of lunar soil to Earth.
5. Being on the Earth and looking into the sky, it seems that the Moon and the Sun have the same size.
6. There is no atmosphere on the Moon, so the night there comes immediately, without the gradual fading of light.
7. The force of attraction on the satellite is the smallest - it is 6 times less than the force of attraction on Earth.
8. There is a monument on the surface of the satellite dead cosmonauts- This is a figure of 10 centimeters made of aluminum.
9. Over the years, the Moon has significantly moved away from the Earth: this happens every year by 4 centimeters.
10. The minimum distance at the nearest points from the Moon to Mars is 55 million 399 thousand kilometers.

It is known that regular flights to Mars are planned in the future, but it is much more convenient to carry them out from the surface of the satellite.

Calculating distances to the Moon helps flight organizers to accurately calculate the amount of fuel, as well as the funds spent on the flight.

Useful video

A great flood will hit Earth from the moon

384.3 thousand kilometers is the average distance from the Earth to the Moon. 149.6 million kilometers is the average distance from the Earth to the Sun. The distance between planets is not always the same. It changes as they move in elliptical orbits. Today, with the help of the latest and super-precise instruments, astronomers can determine the distance between the Earth and its satellite with an accuracy of several centimeters. The moon is rushing along its orbit in outer space at a speed exceeding two and a half thousand kilometers per hour. And a beam of light travels from the Earth to the Moon in a little over a second, from the Sun to the Earth in eight minutes and twenty seconds. At the moments when the Moon is as close as possible to our planet, the distance is reduced to 28,000 kilometers. And this is a great danger for all of us.

Time after time, when some large asteroid flies to the Earth at a dangerous distance, humanity freezes in anxious expectation, and suddenly it changes course under the influence of unknown cosmic forces and attacks our planet.

The consequences can be the most deplorable for earthlings: from a local catastrophe to the destruction of all life on the blue ball. But far greater danger awaits us on the other side. Still, the Earth is protected from ominous space wanderers by a layer of dense atmosphere, in which most of them will burn up before reaching the surface. What can not be said about . This is a ticking time bomb.

Options for the death of mankind

There is no atmosphere on our satellite, so the romantic luminary is open to meteorite strikes like a punching bag.

Carefully

The moon is a ticking time bomb

The moon is a mortal danger for the Earth if an asteroid crashes into the satellite.

It can split into several parts, it can change its orbit.

In both cases, it is the death of everything.

But there is another scenario, just as terrible.

Back in the middle of the recent century, scientists proved that there are huge reservoirs of water on the Moon, which lie in the bowels of our natural satellite at great depths.

They even called its approximate amount: about five hundred million tons.

In the event that one of the meteorites that constantly storm the Moon (it is covered in scars-craters from their impacts) turns out to be large enough, then, having punched a hole in the Moon, it will release water, which is now in a state of ice, and the Earth will fall giant waterfall.

According to scientists, the cosmic shower will go on for at least several hundred years.