Space Travel

[Daij]

I’m researching for a book – if it were possible, using the spacecraft that we have today, to fly to Mercury and orbit that planet, how long would it take to get there?

Thanks in advance

[jim360]

The most recent mission to Mercury took about three-and-a-half years to get there. It didn't take a direct route, for technical reasons -- if you want I can go into these in a bit more detail but, broadly speaking, it's because heading to Mercury in a straight line would mean that current spacecraft would just zoom past it at too fast a speed to get into an orbit.

[Daij]

That's super. Thanks very much

[Tuvok]

Research past missions such as Voyager.

Some of these made 2 trips past Earth before going their merry way.