American geologist and astronaut Harrison Hagan Schmitt takes rock samples from the surface of the moon during America's last lunar landing mission of the 20th century, Apollo 17, December 1972. Space Frontiers/Getty Images Show
Shining brightly overhead most nights, we often take the moon for granted. Our nearest celestial neighbor and satellite has a lot more impact in our lives than we realize though, helping affect the tides, animal sleep cycles (including humans!), and hormones. It has also long inspired us to look up and reach beyond the atmosphere of our own planet; that's part of why President John F. Kennedy set his sights and NASA's mission objective on the moon in the 1960s. So far, American astronauts have made nine journeys to the moon – six of which landed on the lunar surface. Based on this data, we now have a good idea about how long it takes to get to the moon. NASA, other governments, and other private companies are now planning crewed missions back to the moon and will give us even more data about how long it takes to reach the moon. Like other orbiting bodies in space, the moon's orbit is not exactly circular; it is elliptical. This means that the moon is closer to Earth at some times and further than others – that's why we keep hearing about "supermoons" when the moon is closer. (The point of orbit when the moon is closest to Earth is called perigee; the point of orbit when it is furthest away from Earth is called apogee). Taking advantage of orbital mechanics, astrophysicists can plan lunar missions to coincide when those times that the moon is closer to Earth. Historically, most lunar missions have taken about three days to reach the moon, assuming the moon is at an ideal distance of 240,000 miles (386,243 kilometers) away. 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). The fastest-ever mission to the moon was the very first one: 1959's unmanned Luna 1 took just 36 hours at a speed of roughly 6,500 mph (10,500 kph). In 2006, New Horizons zoomed past the moon on its way to Pluto just eight hours and 35 minutes after launch and at a speed of 36,373 mph (58,536 kph).  Last Updated: November 13, 2021 Humans have always been fascinated by the prospect of visiting the Moon – our closest celestial neighbor, and the first stepping stone in the exploration of the solar system. Even with the use of modern technology and advanced propulsion systems, reaching the Moon remains a very difficult and very expensive endeavour. So how long does it take to get to the Moon? The short answer is that it takes an average of 3 days to reach the Moon. Between 1969 and 1972, NASA sent 18 astronauts to the Moon as part of the Apollo space program. In addition, five nations and two political unions have successfully landed unmanned spacecraft on the lunar surface or placed them into lunar orbit. The last Moon landing occurred almost 40 years ago! In fact, humans have not set foot on the lunar ground since December 14, 1972. That being said, NASA’s new “Artemis” mission is generating a great deal of public interest. The next Moon landing is scheduled for 2024! So, what are the factors that can influence the duration of this incredible journey? Let’s dive in! Or should I say, let’s take off? Cargo load is one of the many factors that can influence the time it takes to travel to the Moon. Does the Moon's orbit affect the time it takes to get there?We know that the Moon is located at an average distance of 238,855 miles from Earth. However, the trajectory of the Moon’s orbit around the Earth is elliptical, with one side closer to the Earth than the other and an average eccentricity of 0.0549. Since its path is not perfectly circular, there is a moment when the Moon is as close as possible to the Earth (lunar perigee) at 221,500 miles, and another moment when it is as far away as possible (lunar apogee) at 252,700 miles. While the distance between the Moon and Earth is an important factor to consider when planning a spacecraft’s trajectory, other considerations come into play regarding the duration of the flight to the Moon. The duration of a journey to the Moon varies according to the following factors:
For example, if the space probe “New Horizons” was travelling at its maximum speed of 36,400 mph while the Moon is at perigee (221,500 miles), the probe would reach the Moon in only 6 hours and 15 minutes! If the Moon was at apogee (252,700 miles), the space probe would take about 6 hours and 50 minutes to pass by the Moon. How long does it take to fly a manned spacecraft to the moon?The most popular lunar mission is undoubtedly Apollo 11, during which the astronauts Neil Amstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins travelled to the Moon for the first time. After blasting off from the Kennedy Space Center on July 16, 1969, the astronauts landed on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969, and the journey took 75 hours and 49 minutes. To date, the Apollo 8 mission still holds the record for the shortest travel time ever achieved by a spacecraft carrying astronauts on board (69 hours et 8 minutes). In total, NASA conducted 6 lunar landings during the Apollo program. Although other countries have conducted orbital placements as well as landings of unmanned spacecraft, the United States remains to this day the only country to have successfully landed astronauts on the Lunar surface. As you can see in the table below, the time taken to reach the Moon is different for each Apollo mission. There are several explanations for this:
The Apollo 12 mission arrived on the Moon after a voyage that took three and a half days. How long does it take to send an unmanned spacecraft to the moon?Even for unmanned space probes, there is no such thing as a consistent travel time… It all depends on whether the spacecraft is just passing by the Moon, whether it is intended to be placed into orbit or to land on the surface. New Horizons holds the record for the shortest trip to the Moon: 8 hours and 35 minutes! The record for the longest journey to the Moon is held by SMART-1, a space probe engineered by the European Space Agency: it took a full year to reach the Moon! Although SMART-1 is the slowest spacecraft to ever reach the Moon, it remains the most fuel-efficient spacecraft in history.
ConclusionIn summary, the time it takes to reach the Moon is about 3 days on average for manned spacecraft. On the other hand, for unmanned spacecraft, the travel time can vary considerably depending on the mission objectives. They usually reach their destination much faster. I eagerly look forward to the launch of the next lunar mission scheduled for 2024. Mankind will return to the lunar surface for the first time in 40 years! And this time, a woman will be part of the crew! How amazing! Is it possible that 40 years of technological progress will significantly reduce the time it takes to reach the Moon? Perhaps the new private space companies, such as SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, will beat all previous records? We’ll find out the answer in a few years…! I’ve been fascinated by space and astronomy from a very young age. When I’m not watching space-themed documentaries, movies or TV series, I spend most of my free time in my backyard admiring the planets and galaxies with my telescope. Wow! There's more to read 🚀This page is part of our collection of articles about the Moon. If you enjoyed the read, then you’ll love the following articles.
The moon that we are most familiar with is white in color. However, it sometimes takes on a majestic red appearance… Here’s why.
The gibbous moon is one of the various phases that the Moon goes through during its monthly lunar cycle.
Everyone knows that the Moon is mostly gray. However, if you look closer, there may be a few other different shades up there. How long did it take to get from the Moon to Earth?The quickest was Apollo 8 which took 2 days, 21 hours and 8 minutes, while Apollo 17 took the longest with a time of 3 days, 14 hours and 41 minutes (times include the time spent in Earth orbit).
How long it took to get back from Moon?A final note — it took the Apollo 11 astronauts three days and three hours to reach the moon, but they returned in two days and 22 hours.
How long did it take Apollo 11 to get back from the Moon?Altogether, Apollo 11 spent 2.5 days in lunar orbit, circling the Moon 31 times. The crew returned safely to Earth on July 24, landing in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Hawaii, after a flight of 8 days and 3 hours.
How long does it take astronauts to get back to Earth?From launch to docking, a spacecraft typically takes between 6 hours and 3 days to travel from Earth to the International Space Station.
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How long does it take to get back to Earth from the Moon
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