Traveling to the moon is no easy feat. Our natural satellite orbits Earth at an average distance of 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers). So how long does it take to reach our closest neighbor from the moment a spaceship lifts off?
Based on lunar missions from the past few decades, the answer ranges from about eight hours to 4.5 months. The fastest human-made craft to whiz by the moon — meaning it didn't stop there — was the New Horizon probe launched by NASA in 2006 to study Pluto; this spacecraft passed by the moon 8 hours and 35 minutes after launch.
