ETV Bharat / technologyScientists Model Millions Of Space Trajectories To Identify The Cheapest Route To The MoonHyderabad: A team of scientists, led by researchers from the University of São Paulo and the University of Coimbra, claims to have found a fuel-efficient path to the Moon that had never been noticed before.
Humankind's deep space exploration ambitions require the Moon to serve as a base outside Earth, helping with a localised testing hub, developing sustainable practices, and preparing astronauts for interplanetary missions.
This means that trips to the Moon may become as frequent as astronauts and supplies flying to the International Space Station (ISS).
Artemis II trajectory and mission milestones (NASA)Future missions to the Moon would include numerous crewed and uncrewed launches to transport materials and mission-critical instruments to the lunar surface.
Apart from the complexities of the trip to the Moon, the sheer distance means more fuel and expenses.
ETV Bharat / technology
Scientists Model Millions Of Space Trajectories To Identify The Cheapest Route To The Moon
Hyderabad: A team of scientists, led by researchers from the University of São Paulo and the University of Coimbra, claims to have found a fuel-efficient path to the Moon that had never been noticed before. Instead of assuming the shortest geometric path to be the cheapest, the study, published in the journal Astrodynamics, applied a systematic analysis to explore non-obvious solutions to find the most optimal Earth-Moon trajectory.
Humankind's deep space exploration ambitions require the Moon to serve as a base outside Earth, helping with a localised testing hub, developing sustainable practices, and preparing astronauts for interplanetary missions. This means that trips to the Moon may become as frequent as astronauts and supplies flying to the International Space Station (ISS).
Artemis II trajectory and mission milestones (NASA)
Future missions to the Moon would include numerous crewed and uncrewed launches to transport materials and mission-critical instruments to the lunar surface. Upcoming Artemis missions, scheduled from late 2027 to late 2028, aim not only to achieve crewed lunar landings but also to establish a semi-permanent lunar presence for long-term surface operations.
However, the distance between the Earth and the Moon (3,84,400 km) is exponentially higher than the distance between the Earth and the ISS (400 km), sitting at 1,000 times more than ISS trips. Apart from the complexities of the trip to the Moon, the sheer distance means more fuel and expenses.
