Have you ever wondered how long it would take to reach the Moon? Well, I’ve got the answer for you in a nutshell. The shortest distance from Earth to the Moon is 221,331 miles while the greatest distance between the two is 252,586 miles. Let’s just go with the shortest distance for now. A typical Space Shuttle travels at about 17,500 mph. Amazing huh? So how long does it take to leave the safety of our home to the unknown on the Moon by Space Shuttle (if the Space Shuttle went to the Moon)? About 13 hours…not too bad but, what if you could magically drive your super sports car to the Moon? Let’s say yours could reach 235 mph. That means you would be able to reach the Moon in roughly 942 hours, which is 39 days…and that’s not including pit stops. Some of us might enjoy a nice long walk from our neighborhood to the Moon traveling at about 6 mph. That would take you a whopping 36,888 hours. That’s about 1,537 days, which translates to 51 months, or 4 years and 3 months...however you want to look at it. That doesn’t account for time to eat or rest. To the Moon and back utilizing the Space Shuttle looks like the best option if you don’t like to take road trips or long leisurely walks.

~ Words by Sarah Stecher
~ Image by Stephen G. Cullen
© 2007 Mondo Brands LLC