How to fly to the moon?

One of the basic traits of any person - a curiosity.That mankind owes most of her scientific discoveries and benefits of technological progress and build on them.Since ancient times, people with interest looked into the night sky, which shone a countless number of stars in the sky and the moon floated slowly.Not surprisingly, since the dream to visit any heavenly body does not leave the person.

invention of the telescope has confirmed the assumption that at a minimum distance from the Earth is the Moon.Since then, the science-fiction writers in their novels sent intrepid travelers on a celestial body.It is interesting that the proposed method is quite consistent with the spirit of its time: a cannonball, cannon shells, rockets through the jet engine, antigravity substance Cavor (Wells) and so on. It is true to say exactly how much to fly to the moon, no one could.

passed since then a lot of time.Although the term "many" is applicable with respect to the duration of human life, but for the story was just a moment.Now the Earth's natural satellite is increasingly seen not just as an abstract goal of the flight, as well as the basis for future bases.It may be a settlement under the heavy-duty dome, sealed under the surface of the city, the observatory and automatic filling stations for spaceships.Indeed, the flight of imagination has no limits.It is surprising that while many do not even realize how much the moon.

Now the distance from Earth to the satellite is calculated with high accuracy.Therefore, knowing the speed, it is possible to calculate how long to fly to the moon.It is known that the distance between the center points of these celestial bodies is 384 400 km.But as to determine the travel time between the need to know the way the surface, you need to subtract the values ​​of the radii.The Earth is 6378 km and 1738 km from the satellite.The exact answer to the question: "How to fly to the moon?" Suggests the need to accommodate the features of our natural satellite's orbit.As is known, the trajectory of the moon is close to the oval (ie, elliptical), so that the path length varies as much as 12%, which is quite a lot.So, at closest approach (perigee) the distance is 363 to 104 km, but in the farthest point (apogee) has 405 696 km.Considering the sum of their radii, subtract the known values ​​from a smaller number to yield 354 988 km.This is the distance from the Earth to the Moon's surface.

From voiced above distances can definitely tell how much to fly to the moon.It remains to consider only the speed, with which it is planned to carry out so desired trip.So, the flight to the surface of the natural satellite depends on the vehicle and covers:

- 160 days when driving a car, travel at a speed of about 100 km / h;

- respectively, a plane flying at least 800 kilometers per hour, will require "only" 20 days;

- ships US program "Apollo" reach the surface of our satellite for three days, four hours;

- by developing the escape velocity of 11.2 km / s, will be able to cover the distance in 9.6 hours;

- transformed into pure energy (remember the "Space Odyssey" Arthur C. Clarke) and moving at the speed of light (300 000 km / s), can be achieved for a paltry 1.25;

- well, followers saying: "Slow and steady wins - on going!" Would have to spend at least nine years if continuously move at a normal pace with the speed of 5 km / h.

Obviously, the question: "How to fly to the moon?" Is now already be considered a foregone conclusion.It remains only to choose the vehicle, and then, depending on the decision, properly stock up patience, the required amount of food and hit the road.