Daily Mail By WILIAM HUNTER 5/15/2026
A trip to the moon might not need to break the bank, as scientists have discovered a shortcut that could slash the cost of future missions.
Much like flying on a jet, one of the biggest costs associated with getting to our lunar satellite is the fuel.
NASA's Space Launch System rocket uses over two million litres of propellant at an estimated cost of $4bn (£2.8bn) per launch, while the Orion spacecraft needs yet more to navigate to the lunar surface.
However, scientists have now created a mathematical method that could save space agencies cash by finding more fuel–efficient routes.
Space missions measure fuel by the amount it can change the rocket's velocity rather than as a volume, which would change depending on the fuel used.
The researchers' new route requires 58.8 metres per second less fuel than the most efficient paths previously discovered.
That might not sound a lot compared to the journey's total fuel consumption of 3,342.96 metres per second.
However, lead author Dr Allan Kardec de Almeida Júnior, of the University of Coimbra, says: 'When it comes to space travel, every meter per second equates to a massive amount of fuel consumption.'
One of the most efficient ways to get to the moon is to take advantage of natural balance points in the solar system known as Lagrange Points.
At each of the five Lagrange Points, the gravitational forces of the Earth, moon, and sun are balanced.
This means that a spaceship can park itself at one of these locations and travel through space without needing to burn any more fuel.
More:
https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/article-15821157/Earth-Moon-scientists-discovered-SHORTCUT.html
