This is a good question, I see three main reasons but I may miss something: 1. Hop count is not one on the ground to go same distance. 2. Speed of light is si

This is a good question, I see three main reasons but I may miss something: 1. Hop count is not one on the ground to go same distance. 2. Speed of light is significantly faster in vacuum. 3. The path is potentially straighter for longer distances.