By rocket to the Moon: about 6.3 hours
By rocket (61,000 km/h) it would take about 6.3 hours 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 5.8 hours (closest) to 6.7 hours (farthest).
For comparison
Shorter than a transatlantic flight from Europe to New York. Apollo 11 still needed about three days, because Earth's gravity strongly slowed the spacecraft after launch.
How it is calculated
- Closest distance
- 356,400 km
- Average distance
- 384,400 km
- Farthest distance
- 406,700 km
- Speed
- 61,000 km/h (speed of the Voyager 1 probe)
- Formula
- Travel time = distance ÷ speed
- Result
- 384,400 km ÷ 61,000 km/h ≈ 6.3 hours
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 |