It is year 2151 and humans have established space stations on all the planets of solar system. Lately a message has been received from planet Neptune that oxygen production system has started to malfunction. The system is still generating oxygen but will stop working very soon if some key components are not replaced soon. The life of 11 astronauts at Neptune hangs in balance, if they are not supplied with oxygen system components in time. You have been assigned the task to travel to Neptune and deliver the much needed supplies. You’re at the controls of a Saturn V rocket travelling at 28,000 kilometers per hour, the same incredible speed that sent Apollo mission crews to the Moon. Your objective is to race from Earth all the way to Neptune by taking the quickest path possible. To cover this huge distance you would be required to stop by on intermediate planets for refueling before you reach Neptune. However you need to decide first on which plants you will stop by as this would immensely impact the time and distance to Neptune.
The Mission
Because of how gravity and orbits work, it’s not always possible to fly directly between planets. In some cases, you’ll need to stop at certain planets to refuel before continuing the journey. Below are the travel times you can use between planets. There is no other path for you to use in your journey.
From Earth: Reaching Mars takes 2 days. Traveling to Jupiter takes 8 days.
From Mars: Getting to Earth takes 2 days. Venus is reachable in 3 days. It takes 4 days to get to Jupiter.
From Venus: Mars is 3 days away. Reaching Mercury takes 2 days. Saturn is 7 days from Venus.
From Mercury: Venus is a 2-day journey. Saturn can be reached in 5 days.
From Jupiter: It takes 8 days to get back to Earth. Reaching Mars takes 4 days. Saturn is 3 days away, while Uranus is 6 days from Jupiter.
From Saturn: Venus takes 7 days to reach. Getting to Mercury takes 5 days. Jupiter is 3 days away. Reaching Uranus takes 4 days, and Neptune is 6 days from Saturn.
From Uranus: Traveling to Jupiter takes 6 days. Saturn can be reached in 4 days. Neptune is 3 days away.
Your Task: Figure out the fastest path from Earth to Neptune!
Stick to the listed paths for your journey. Some planets give you several options to pick from, while others are key stops you can’t skip. Look at the travel times. The goal is to find the route with the lowest total time.
Keep in mind at times unexpected routes are more efficient than they seem.
View the answer
Quickest route: Earth → Jupiter → Saturn → Neptune = 17 days
Alternate route: Earth → Jupiter → Uranus → Neptune (this also totals 17 days and ties as fastest).
