“I found the first ballistic capture orbit to the moon with a painting,” Ed Belbruno

Ed Belbruno’s life and discoveries are the subject of a new documentary titled Painting the Way to the Moon by Jacob Akira Okada. Belbruno, a trained mathematician, discovered new ways to navigate the universe by taking advantage of gravitational pulls of various celestial bodies. Because of his work, space missions now use less fuel to traverse the stars and planets. And millions of Angry Birds Space fans should also thank Belbruno because his research is what determines the birds’ trajectories around space bodies and through gravitational pulls to eventual pig annihilation.

In the documentary, Belbruno, a brilliant painter in addition to mathematician and space scientist, credits his discovery to a Van Gogh-style painting he made of possible travel routes through space for his inspiration. Enjoy the complete trailer below:

Curious about Belbruno’s research? Please check out these Princeton University Press titles. Fly Me to the Moon is intended for general audiences, while Capture Dynamics and Chaotic Motions in Celestial Mechanics is a specialized textbook.

Fly Me to the Moon An Insider’s Guide to the New Science of Space Travel Edward Belbruno With a foreword by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Capture Dynamics and Chaotic Motions in Celestial Mechanics With Applications to the Construction of Low Energy Transfers Edward Belbruno