Why did it take so long to go to the moon?

However, to send astronauts to the Moon, NASA needed to invest in a whole new breed of rockets and spacecraft. But to reach the Moon, NASA would require a heavy-lift launch vehicle and a spacecraft capable of both reaching the lunar surface and bringing the astronauts back to Earth.

How long it take to get to the moon and back?

It takes about 3 days for a spacecraft to reach the Moon. During that time a spacecraft travels at least 240,000 miles (386,400 kilometers) which is the distance between Earth and the Moon. The specific distance depends on the specific path chosen.

Why does it take so long to get to the Moon?

Because the moon is a long distance away. The Apollo spacecraft launched faster (25,000mph) than any crewed vehicle before or since but they had to cover 250,000 miles in an uphill journey against Earth’s gravity. As a result: about 3 days to the moon.

How long does it take to come back from the Moon?

The Apollo 11 mission took 51 hours and 49 minutes to arrive on the lunar surface back on July 19th, 1969, hence becoming the fastest spacecraft mission to the Moon that had astronauts who then took 1,376 minutes to return.

Why did Apollo 11 take 10 hours to get to the Moon?

Because of Earth’s gravity, the Apollo CSM and Lunar Module had slowed almost to a halt before entering the moon’s gravity, hence the journey wasn’t “just” 10 hours at a constant 25,000mph. After crossing into the moon’s influence, Apollo 11 began falling toward the moon and picking up speed.

How fast do astronauts travel on the Moon?

This means astronauts travel roughly 3,333 mph (5,364 kph) on their journey to the moon. Some uncrewed missions have taken longer in an attempt to save on fuel weight (such as China’s Chang’e missions which have taken four to five days each ).