- International team discovered a more efficient Earth-moon route using advanced computer modelling
- The new route reduces fuel use by 58.80 metres per second compared to previous paths
- Route approaches lunar orbit from the side opposite Earth for better gravity propulsion
Planning space missions takes a large amount of time and effort because travelling through space is extremely expensive. Scientists always look for routes that use less fuel, as even small improvements in efficiency can save millions of dollars, reported Space.com.
An international team of researchers says it has discovered a more efficient route between Earth and the moon using advanced computer modelling. The researchers developed the method using the theory of functional connections, which reduces the amount of computing power needed to run complex simulations.
Using this method, the team simulated 30 million possible routes to the moon. Their newly published study references 280,000 simulations.
The researchers explained that the newly discovered low-cost route was previously hidden.
Spacecraft travelling through the solar system only use fuel during certain parts of a mission. Scientists often rely on gravity for movement because it does not require fuel. These gravity-based paths across the solar system are known as the Interplanetary Transportation Network.
According to the researchers, finding a cheaper route to the moon depends largely on the gravitational pull of both Earth and the moon.
In spaceflight, a "variate" refers to a natural trajectory leading to a specific orbit. The team found that instead of entering the lunar-orbit variate from the side closest to Earth, it was more efficient to approach it from the opposite side.
Study co-author Vitor Martins de Oliveira, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, said researchers should not assume that the route closest to Earth is always the easiest option. He added that systematic analysis using faster methods could help uncover non-obvious solutions.
The researchers found that this hidden route offered more gravity-based propulsion and reduced fuel use by 58.80 metres per second compared to the previous cheapest known route.
The team also said the newly proposed route could help spacecraft maintain uninterrupted communication with Earth.
Oliveira explained that the Artemis 2 mission temporarily lost communication with Earth because it moved directly behind the moon. He said the newly proposed orbit could avoid such interruptions.
The researchers noted that the newly discovered route may not be the final solution for low-cost Earth-moon travel.
Their current modelling only included the gravitational effects of Earth and the moon. Future studies may also consider the sun's gravity, which could lead to even more efficient routes.
Study lead author Allan Kardec de Almeida Junior from the University of Coimbra in Portugal said the systematic analysis used in the study could be applied more widely in future research.
The study was published in the journal Astrodynamics.
