The conditions of space travel have been researched by scientists; The knowledge of the universally applicable laws of nature preceded this. All modern technological ventures assume, to apply such knowledge, mathematically grasped and implemented. Mathematicians had to calculate a lot for space travel, such as air resistance, that the rocket experiences. One knew for a long time, Air resistance increases with the square of the speed. Then you found out, that he is at speeds above 15 km per minute not only quadrupled, but eightfold.
The trajectory of a spacecraft would be easy to calculate, when the earth stood still; however, it does not rotate only around its axis, but also in an elliptical orbit around the sun.
Gravity must also be taken into account, the gravitational pull of the earth and for those who travel to the moon also that of the moon. Isaac Newton recognized the law of gravity three centuries ago and put it into a mathematical formula: s = -f-t2, where s is the drop distance in meters, t is the time and g is the acceleration due to gravity. {The gravitational acceleration is 9,81 m pro Sekunde des Falles.) The gravity of the earth can be overcome with speed. To a satellite on a 200 km high orbit around the earth, he needs a speed of 7800 meters per second. With 11 200 m/sec – these are 40000 kilometers per hour – he reaches escape velocity, That means, he overcomes gravity and flies into space. The escape velocity is much lower, propelling a missile away from the moon, because its gravity is less, because it is much smaller than Earth. The gravitational pull of any body depends on its mass – there is a mathematical formula for this too.
The moon has no atmosphere, it therefore offers the spacecraft no air resistance. But how great is the heat, caused by air friction when immersed in the earth's atmosphere ? How to protect the astronauts against such heat and against the cold of space?
These are just a few of thousands of scientific and engineering problems in space, which cannot be solved without mathematical knowledge and thinking.
Mathematicians use hundreds of electronic computing systems to determine the trajectory and the necessary increase in speed of a space rocket.