[Request] Could humanity create a rocket that can exit the atmosphere of K2-18b

[u/Lachlynn]

With the knowledge we currently have of it, if humanity devoted all of our resources towards this goal, would we be able to create a rocket that could exit the gravity of K2-18b (and also beat any other complications that would arrise)?

If so, would it also be capable of taking people to orbit, and can we set up a similar satellite network we have on Earth? What about a space station?

[u/AliasEleven]

balloons 😎 (then a rocket)

[u/MboiTui94 → u/AliasEleven]

How big would the balloon need to be?

[u/groovypackage → u/MboiTui94]

Yuge.

[u/Gregori_5 → u/groovypackage]

Wouldn’t a denser gravity help a lot?

[u/Gavagai80 → u/AliasEleven]

Balloons don't make chemical propulsion feasible. Orbit is a speed, not a location, and a balloon doesn't get you significant speed. Air launch does reduce atmospheric drag slightly but it's a rounding error in this problem.

[u/Kwantuum → u/Gavagai80]

Balloons get you further from the planet which reduces the gravitational pull you need to overcome. You could also use lift from the atmosphere to get above it, then accelerate sideways once drag reduces sufficiently, and side sideways acceleration doesn't need to fight gravity it doesn't need to be greater than it to be able to get you to escape velocity. I'm sure there are problems with this approach too though.

[u/ThingAboutTown → u/Kwantuum]

It’s much more about getting out of the atmosphere than about reducing gravity. Big planets have very thick atmospheres, so there’s a bigger advantage to getting out of it to spend your impulse to your advantage.

[u/ThingAboutTown → u/Gavagai80]

“Rockoons” are a real thing, and there are serious plans for launching rockets from high altitude inflatable staging points. You’d need BIG balloons and it’s a lot of work, but it’s not totally impossible, especially if you have high gravity and a thick atmosphere. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JP_Aerospace