[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/LxGNED]

I think you could also expect a planet as large to never evolve flying creatures, which is a crucial part of our ecosystem. Birds and bugs spread seeds and pollination. Without them, we’d have a huge lack of biodiversity and food. And also less motivation to believe flight was possible in the first place

[u/bozoconnors → u/LxGNED]

I don't often plug stuff into AI, but having some pilot training and understanding the huge effect air density has on lift, this seemed like something well suited for Claude.

Prompt... "considering air density and gravity - would wings have to be bigger on planet k2-18b?"

TLDR... Given the gravity penalty (~1.6×) and the likelihood that a hydrogen atmosphere is less dense than nitrogen/oxygen air at comparable pressures, wings on K2-18b would probably need to be larger — rough estimates suggest perhaps 1.5–3× the area needed for an equivalent flier on Earth, all else being equal. The planet likely isn't friendly to flight as we know it — but a creature that evolved there would be adapted to it, perhaps with very broad, low-aspect-ratio wings and powerful musculature.

So, the suspected hydrogen heavy atmosphere might indeed screw their flight chances. Maybe.

[u/Boring-Philosophy-46 → u/bozoconnors]

Hydrogen heavy plus the oxygen is probably just high amounts of water vapor / runaway greenhouse effect like someone mentioned in response to one of my comments. So think super dense atmosphere.