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The distance of a light year. How long would it take the space shuttle to go one light-year? The shuttle orbits the Earth at about 5 miles per second (18,000 mph). Light travels at 186,000 miles per second, which is about 37,200 times faster than the shuttle. So the shuttle would need about 37,200 years to go one light-year.
Thatâs very fast. If you could travel at the speed of light, you would be able to circle the Earthâs equator about 7.5 times in just one second! A light-second is the distance light travels in one second, or 7.5 times the distance around Earthâs equator. A light-year is the distance light travels in one year. How far is that? Multiply the number of seconds in one year by the number of miles or kilometers that light travels in one second, and there you have it: one light-year.