Scientists find new lunar route saving 58.8 meters per 2nd
Big news for space travel: scientists have found a new route to the moon that uses way less fuel, about 58.8 meters per second less than the previous best option.
After running millions of computer simulations, they landed on this clever shortcut, which could make future moon missions much cheaper and more efficient.
As one researcher put it, this new path could be a game-changer for missions to the moon and beyond.
Route uses far side gravity
Instead of sticking close to earth, this route takes advantage of gravity on the far side of the moon for extra boost, and even keeps communication lines open with earth (a problem that tripped up Artemis 2).
The team hopes that by including solar gravity in future studies, they'll unlock even more savings. They're pretty excited about where this could lead for space exploration.