Now, you could travel from Earth to the Moon in a straight line for a short 384,400 km, but the constant fight against the gravity pull and the natural twists and turns of orbital angular momentum would make your journey unpleasant. Instead, taking the same kind of journey the Apollo 11 astronauts took when they became the first men on the Moon, your craft will travel in more of a figure 8 shape. It will first circle the Earth, then fire its engines to go into a transfer orbit to carry you out toward the moon, saving fuel at the same time. One more engine fire will put you in orbit around the moon, allowing a bird’s-eye view of all the things you will be able to see from up close as we explore the lunar surface.