How fast did Apollo 11 travel to the moon?

Answer 1

Let me clarify Stu's answer below. When the Apollo spacecraft left earth's orbit they executed what they referred to as a TLI burn (Trans-Lunar Injection). This burn accelerated the spacecraft from an earth orbital velocity of approximately 17,500 mph to the TLI velocity of about 25,000 mph. The engines were then cut off, and the spacecraft "coasted" to the point where the earth's gravitational pull was equaled by that of the moon. At this point, the spacecraft had slowed due to the continuing (albeit decreasing) pull of earth's gravity to a mere 2,000 mph. At that "tipping point" the moon's gravity took over and began accelerating the spacecraft again until it reached the vicinity of the moon, at which point it's speed was around 5,000 mph. At that time the spacecraft executed an LOI (Lunar Orbit Insertion) retro-burn designed to slow it to a velocity which would place it in a specific orbit around the moon, approximately 3,600 mph.

Stu:

At the time when Apollo 11 left Earth orbit for the Moon, it was traveling at approximately 36,700 ft./sec. Its velocity was slowed all the way to the Moon, by the Earth's gravity. On the return journey, the Earth's gravity accelerated the Command Module, so that just before it hit the Earth's atmosphere, it was traveling approximately 36,300 ft./sec. There was nothing special about Apollo 11's velocity; any vehicle traveling to the Moon, manned or unmanned, would have to achieve the same velocities.

I'm assuming that you knew that 9 Apollo missions went to at least lunar orbit, and that 6 Apollo Lunar Modules actually made landings.

Answer 2

Apollo 11 traveled at an average speed of approximately 3,600 kilometers per hour (2,200 miles per hour) on its way to the moon.