By plane to the Moon: about 17.8 days
By plane (900 km/h) it would take about 17.8 days to get to the Moon – at the average distance of 384,400 km, non-stop and in a straight line.
Because the distance keeps changing, the travel time ranges from 16.5 days (closest) to 18.8 days (farthest).
For comparison
Longer than a typical two-week summer holiday – and all of it spent in your plane seat.
How it is calculated
- Closest distance
- 356,400 km
- Average distance
- 384,400 km
- Farthest distance
- 406,700 km
- Speed
- 900 km/h
- Formula
- Travel time = distance ÷ speed
- Result
- 384,400 km ÷ 900 km/h ≈ 17.8 days
Assumption: constant speed in a straight line, with no stops, acceleration or braking. Real spacecraft fly curved paths and use the gravity of planets.
Good to know: Moon
The Moon is our closest neighbour and the only other world humans have walked on (Apollo 11, 1969). Its orbit is slightly elliptical, so the distance varies between about 356,000 and 407,000 km. It is also drifting away from Earth by about 3.8 cm every year.
Moon: travel time by every vehicle
| Vehicle | Speed | Travel time | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car | 100 km/h | 160 days | 150 days – 170 days |
| Airplane | 900 km/h | 17.8 days | 16.5 days – 18.8 days |
| Rocket | 61,000 km/h | 6.3 hours | 5.8 hours – 6.7 hours |
| Speed of light | 1,079,252,849 km/h | 1.3 seconds | 1.2 seconds – 1.4 seconds |