Spacecraft travel very quickly. If we were to imagine being able to drive a car at 60 mph (100Kph) to the moon

Answer 1

And did the arithmetic: 240,000 @ 60 mph = 4,000 hours = 23.8 weeks = about 6 months (and that is driving 24/7 with a regular change of drivers. we would soon give it up as a bad job and not consider it further.

Apart from the fact you could not possibly carry the fuel needed, there aren't any roads or any garages you could use, and if you opened the car door "for a breath of fresh air" you'd be instantly killed as space is a vacuum (and you couldn't carry the oxygen needed or the food either).

So best to adopt a "Horses for Courses" policy and use the purpose-made vehicle, a space ship. The Apollo missions took 3 days in 1969-72 to reach the Moon, but the New Horizons unmanned probe launched to Pluto in January 2006 passed the Moon's orbit in under 12 hours from launch, so rockets are getting faster and journey times are being cut, And it helps not having congestion on the M25 to contend with ...

Though I suppose one day soon when we have a Moon base and several countries are mining the moon for Helium-3, we will have to introduce Space Traffic Controllers who give you permission to land once other craft are clear of the area, and you could be stuck in orbit for hours awaiting landing clearance ...

Answer 2

238,855 mi/60 mph = 3,981 hours
3476/2 = 1,738 km / 1.609344 = 1,080 mi radius for the Moon
6371.0 / 1.609344 = 3959 mi radius of Earth
238,855 - 3,959 - 1,080 = 233,816
233,816 / 60 = 3,897 hours surface-to-surface = 162 days 9 hr = 23 weeks, 1 day, 9 hours -- over 5 months

Answer 3

Given the problem you suggested, and discounting the fact that this is an impossibility for reasons to numerous to list here, let me offer the following:

240,000 Mile One-Way Drive to the Moon @ 60 Mph
166 and 2/3 days driving 24 hours Per Day
Assume Zero Earth Orbits
Assume Zero Moon Orbits
Assume Launch at 60 Mph is possible.
Assume gasoline tank, oil sump, and radiator are suitably modified to hold all the necessary fluids, and that it is possible to utilize a radiator in space.
Assume four tires will provide sufficient traction in a total vacuum to provide a good grip, and that the tires themselves are capable of holding air in a vacuum while fitting under the wheel wells, and not expanding to gigantic size (before bursting) and failing to rotate.
Assume the vehicle has been retro-fitted with airtight seals on all windows, doors, and ventilation systems.
Assume that the vehicle is equipped with storage capacity for 167 Days worth of consumeable oxygen rich air storage tanks similar to the large Scuba Tanks - 2000 of them per occupant.
Place 16,000 gallons of gasoline in the gas tank (15 MPG assumed mileage for an American Model Car).
Place 400 quarts of Oil in various tanks within the car for an oil change every 3,000 Miles, assuming 5 quarts per oil change.
Place at least 4,000 gallons of Anti-Freeze in the trunk to replenish the normal supply, and another 4000 gallons of water for the radiator.
Human Foods and Water:
Provide 4 Pounds of dehydrated foods (assorted) per day per person, and 2 gallons of fresh water per day per person at 8 pounds per gallon. Assuming three people for 8 hour driving shifts in each 24 hour day = 6012 Pounds of assorted dehydrated food stuffs, and 1002 Gallons of fresh water = 8016 Pounds of water.
There is the small problem of having smokers and coke drinkers on board this trip, so I would add additional air supplies and storage space for occasional cola drinks. Add to this the storage space needed for 250 rolls of toilet paper and 249 suits of clean clothes for the occupants assuming that they wear the same clothes for two days running.

Given all of that, I don't think your automobile will be able to get off of the ground, and actually needs to be a Grayhound Bus, or something like a Tractor Trailer with the drivers cab connected to trailer by an operational air lock. Of course this changes the equation somewhat, and now you are faced with a diesel fuel situation and not a gasoline storage problem.

I would guess that a Grayhound Bus or a Tractor Trailer Truck might average 6 Miles to the gallon of diesel fuel. That means you will need to carry about 42, 000 gallons of diesel fuel in the storage tanks (a little spare for wrong turns and detours). With such a large diesel engine you will also need to carry 1600 quarts of oil for oil changes every 3,000 miles instead of the previous figures that were given for that purpose.

Now, all of these calculations have been provided for a one way trip to your destination. I have no idea what you plan to do once you arrive, how long you plan to stay, or when you might wish to return, however, you may simply use my figures doubled for a trip up and back, or doubled plus 10 - 15 percent if you desire to stop off and do a little sight seeing and shopping while in the general area. If that is the case, I would certainly include some kind of environmental suits and all terrain bikes, or suitably modified ATV's to use for local transport . Those items will need some storage space in your vehicle also, and the fuel necessary to operate them what ever that might be.

Visual tracking of your progress should be fairly easy for Earth Bound observers who only need to focus their telescopes on the visable trail of toilet paper and coke cans ejected from your vehicle into space as is moves along the route. One or two wads/cans might not be normally visable, but a string of them 240,000 miles long will certainly become obvious to most observers. Aluminum makes a fairly good reflector, and white paper is sure to be highly visable in the darkness of outer space.

As a last thought, I would also carry a carton of about two dozen sets of windshield wiper blades because one set is only good for about 7,500 miles or so.

ICA Trucking Rules and Regulations require log books to be kept by all long distance drivers and you will certainly qualify as a long distance driving team on this trip. Be sure to keep a copy of the ICA Regs in plain sight in the cab of the Truck or driver's area of the Bus.

The FAA requires all flights above 1,500 Feet Altitude to be carried out by licensed pilots with a recorded flight plan, flight log book, and inspections every 250 hours of actual flight operation. This requirement seems to suggest that you will need to carry an additional person on the trip to perform those inspections and repairs, unless one of your drivers happens to also be a qualified single engine pilot, and registered FAA Aircraft Mechanic. Storage space for the required maintenance tools will also need to be provided.

Last but not least, all flights above 55,000 Feet require a valid Medical Certificate from a United States Air Force Flight Surgeon. So you will need to delay your departure until driver/pilots have completed those exams and the necessary papers issued. Should you elect to return to Earth's Atmosphere, and land anywhere on Earth, you will need to contact Outer Space - Air Traffic Control and file a Flight Plan to your destination. On arrival you will enter a Decontamination and Medical Examination Facility for examination and debriefing which could take up to ten days to complete. So, I would allow that time in your travel plans just to make sure your permitted vacation time from work is not understated.