Juan Luis Cano - Per Python ad Astra [EuroPython 2016] [20 July 2016] [Bilbao, Euskadi, Spain] (https://ep2016.europython.eu//conference/talks/per-python-ad-astra) In the intersection of mechanics, mathematics and "cool stuff that travels through space" lies Astrodynamics, a beautiful branch of physics that studies the motion of spacecraft. In this talk we will describe poliastro, a pure Python library we can use to compute orbital maneuvers, plot trajectories and much more. The role of JIT compiling (using numba) to drop the previously used FORTRAN algorithms will also be discussed, as well as the importance of open source in scientific discoveries. ----- In the intersection of mechanics, mathematics and "cool stuff that travels through space" lies Astrodynamics, a beautiful branch of physics that studies the motion of spacecraft. Rocket launches have never been so popular thanks to companies like Space X, more and more investors pay attention to aerospace startups and amazing missions explore our planet and our Solar System every day. In this talk we will describe poliastro, a pure Python library we can use to compute orbital maneuvers, plot trajectories and much more. The role of JIT compiling (using numba) to drop the previously used FORTRAN algorithms will also be discussed, as well as the importance of open source in scientific discoveries.