“The fastest manned vehicle in history was Apollo 10. It reached 25,000 mph.”
- January 8, 1942 – March 14, 2018
- British
- Theoretical physicist, science writer
- Announced the black hole singularity theorem and Hawking radiation, and contributed to the popularization of science with his book “Talking about the Universe”
Quote
“The fastest manned vehicle in history was Apollo 10. It reached 25,000 mph.”
Explanation
In this quote, Stephen Hawking refers to the Apollo 10 mission, which, in May 1969, became the fastest manned spacecraft in history. During its mission to orbit the Moon, the spacecraft reached a maximum speed of 25,000 miles per hour (40,233 kilometers per hour) as it slingshotted around the Moon and returned to Earth. This remarkable speed was necessary to break free from the Moon’s gravity and return to Earth, and it represents the pinnacle of human engineering and space exploration at the time. Apollo 10 was a crucial test flight for the subsequent Apollo 11 mission, which would land the first humans on the Moon just a few months later.
The Apollo program was one of the most significant achievements of the 20th century, representing the power of human ingenuity, international collaboration, and the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. The high speeds reached during these missions were a result of complex calculations involving orbital mechanics, the use of powerful rocket engines, and precise timing to navigate the vast distances of space. Apollo 10’s achievement in reaching such high velocities also highlighted the immense challenges of human space travel, where factors like speed, fuel efficiency, and life support systems had to be meticulously managed to ensure success.
Today, as Hawking pointed out, Apollo 10 remains the fastest manned vehicle in history, but future missions are likely to surpass this record. As space exploration advances, new technologies, such as ion drives, nuclear propulsion, and potential missions to Mars and beyond, may allow future spacecraft to travel even faster. While Apollo 10’s speed is a testament to the technological capabilities of the 1960s, it serves as a reminder of how far humanity has come in its quest to explore the cosmos and how much further we may go in the years ahead. The Apollo missions, including Apollo 10, set the stage for the continuing exploration of space and humanity’s ambition to venture beyond the confines of our planet.
