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    Distance & light

    Space Travel Time Estimator

    How long a journey takes at a constant speed — from the Moon to the nearest star.

    t = d / v

    Inputs

    Results

    Travel time (Earth frame)
    27,352,300 days
    74,890 years
    Time experienced on board
    27,352,300 days
    74,890 years
    Light takes
    4.247 years
    Worked solution
    1. t = 4.0175 × 10^16 m / 17,000 m/s = 2.3632 × 10^12 s
    2. γ = 1 ⇒ on-board time = t/γ

    How the result changes

    Travel time (days) plotted against Speed (km/s), from one quarter to four times your input, with your input marked.25,000,00050,000,00075,000,000100,000,000204060Speed (km/s)Travel time (days)your input
    Travel time vs speed

    How it works

    Even at Voyager 1's speed, about 17 km/s, reaching Proxima Centauri would take roughly 75,000 years. This is why interstellar travel needs fundamentally new propulsion.

    Variables

    • d — straight-line distance
    • v — average speed

    Assumptions and limits

    • Constant cruise speed along a straight line (no acceleration phases or gravity assists)
    • Target distance fixed — real planets move during the trip

    For education only. These models are simplified and are not suitable for spacecraft navigation or safety-critical engineering. See our scientific accuracy policy.