Mathematics for the Moon

The state of our mathematics defines the state of our civilization. Before NASA could go to the moon, a crucial mathematical advancement was needed. The so-called Three-Body Problem calculates the path orbiting regularly around two objects, such as a spacecraft going between the Earth and the Moon.

The complexity of solving this problem stems from the fact that all three bodies pull on each other while moving, a total of six interactions. The problem is intractible in analytical form, that is, one cannot find a clean, algebraic solution. Mathematician Richard Arenstorf solved the problem in a special form, received the NASA Medal of Scientific Achievement. This orbit is the basis of a path going to the Moon from the Earth, such as the United States Apollo program.

Before leaving NASA [..] Arenstorf [also] mapped out an emergency rescue orbit, which was used in the Apollo 13 incident, in which a catastrophic malfunction forced aborting the Moon landing, [..] the astronauts ultimately returned safely to Earth without a major course adjustment.

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