How long would it take an astronaut to walk around the Moon?

Asked by: Theodore Barkas, Athens, Greece

The Apollo astronauts managed a walking speed of about 2.2km/h, which is around half of the typical speed on Earth. This is partly because the Moon’s lower gravity gives you much less traction on the ground, but the Apollo spacesuits were never really designed with long-distance hikes in mind.

A 2014 NASA study looked at the theoretical maximum walking speed on the Moon, finding that you could walk at 5km/h before you would need to break into a loping run. At this speed, you would travel the 10,900km circumference of the Moon in 91 days of non-stop walking.

Read more:

• Are there really still human footprints on the Moon?
• Why is there poo on the Moon?

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