When wanting to exit our solar system, do we have to always go outward from the sun in the direction of the other planets? Or can we simply travel “north”?

Question

When wanting to exit our solar system, do we have to always go outward from the sun in the direction of the other planets? Or can we simply travel “north”?

In: 332

Answer 1

You could but you never would. Since the earth is orbiting the sun, your rocket is already orbiting the sun. This means it’s already moving at some 100,000km/h and you can use that speed to help you exit the solar system. If you wanted to travel “north” then you need to bring extra fuel.