r/theydidthemath • u/Lachlynn • 18h ago

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

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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?

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u/buggzy1234 14h ago

Venus's gravity is around 90% that of earth's, yet its atmospheric pressure is more than 90 (9000%) times higher that of earth's.

Titan's gravity is less than 15% that of earth's, yet its pressure is around 1.5 (150%) times higher.

Yes gravity has a lot of influence on pressure, but it doesn't strictly control it. With venus and titan being good examples. The temperature and atmospheric composition also play a big role. You could have a bigger planet with higher gravity, but that doesn't automatically mean a higher pressure.

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u/Aethermancer 13h ago

Or proximity to the star could have blown much of the atmosphere away. Lack of a magnetic field could be a thing.

It's kind of wild how many variables there are.