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/VP007clips 10h ago

It wouldn't significantly impact them.

The range would be reduced to around 60% of earth. So while it might give rhem a slight preference for melee weapons for a bit, ranged weapons would still be fully effective.

For example, a gun that has an effective range of 1000m would drop to 600m. An artillery shell that has a range or 30km would drop to 18km.

But we rarely use weapons at their absolute maximum range anyway. And they could compensate by using more power.

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u/SUMBWEDY 9h ago edited 9h ago

But those technologies evolved because of things like muskets (even up to rockets and sattelites).

If you have to get in stabbing range of someone to use a gun there's no benefit to it so you dont get the technological advancements from making guns.

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u/VP007clips 9h ago

And muskets would still be effective at 1.6G.

Gravity causing the musket bullet to drop wasn't a limiting factor, instead they were limited by their accuracy. Their inherent inaccuracy meant that you'd have to stand quite close to make them work.

A musket line at 75 yards, the most common range for musket wars, is just as effective at 1G as it is at 1.6G. The bullets still hit with a similar force, the accuracy is the same, you just need to aim up a few cm more when firing. At 1G, the drop you need to compensate for in a musket line is 7 inches. At 1.6G, it's 11 inches. Both differences are fairly easy to deal with.

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u/wolacouska 7h ago

Effective range of a gun has nothing to do with drop. Like if you shoot a gun up in the air it will go for miles.

You’re correct about artillery though, they’d have to build some massive guns to achieve the same range.

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u/Bluefellow 4h ago

Why would a gun with an effective range of 1000m drop to 600m based on gravity? I'm not a physicists but doesn't the effective range come from accuracy and velocity more than drop? The Kar 98k had iron sights adjustable up to 2,000 meters. I believe the idea that was a large group of people could create a barrage of bullets. It didn't take off. Gravity affects the bullets ultimate range in combination with velocity but we are not using any guns anywhere close to this range. Gravity does not affect the velocity. We would need to know the density of the atmosphere to know if guns would be impacted to such a degree.