Artemis II

An interactive guide to orbital mechanics.
No physics required — just curiosity.

curious humans have tried going to the Moon

• Part 1
  Orbiting Is Falling
  The only difference between a ball dropping and a spacecraft orbiting is speed.
• Part 2
  Throwing to Where the Moon Will Be
  You don't aim at the Moon. You aim at where it's going to be.
• Part 3
  The Slingshot
  The Moon's gravity bends Orion's path and flings it home. No engine needed.
• Part 4
  Hitting the Bullseye
  After a 1.6 million km round trip at Mach 32, you have a 2.5° window to survive reentry.