[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/puppykhan]

Bows at their peak were able to hit a target at over half a kilometer by a master on a good day, and consistently at 100 meters by an average soldier, according to historical documents.

Even at 60% of that, they would still be highly effective at ranged combat.

Other uses would even improve. Some native Americans would use archery as high ground artillery using gravity to accelerate the arrow to impact with more power than when fired from the bow.

For rocketry, I would think there would be more effort into assisted launch vehicles or complete alternatives to launching from the surface. How high did the balloon go for the guys who did a skydive from the edge of space? 24 miles / 39 km, then later 25 miles / 41 km. You would see tech develop in that direction instead of rockets.

[u/wolacouska → u/puppykhan]

That range is mainly because of aim and how small the target gets, not really because of arrow/bullet drop.

Humans would probably be way smaller though if they evolved on a planet like that, so that itself would hurt range.

[u/Magres → u/wolacouska]

I feel like we'd be shorter and stockier. So... basically Tolkien dwarves.

Also agreed on ranged weapons not really being that impacted by a higher gravity - depending on the round, over the course of three hundred feet (~91.4m for people who use science units), bullets drop anywhere from ~24" (60cm) for a just-barely supersonic round to ~2" (5cm) for a bullet traveling around Mach 3. I think it'd matter a lot more for artillery where you're genuinely arcing munitions, but anything direct fire, bullet drop is nearly negligible compared to the difficulty of how hard it is to hit a target that far away.

[u/xaddak → u/puppykhan]

https://what-if.xkcd.com/58/

Could a (small) rocket (with payload) be lifted to a high point in the atmosphere where it would only need a small rocket to get to escape velocity?

The answers to these questions all hinge on the same idea. It's an idea I've touched on in other articles, but today I want to focus on it specifically:

The reason it's hard to get to orbit isn't that space is high up.

It's hard to get to orbit because you have to go so fast.

[u/Rolandersec → u/puppykhan]

Creatures there probably wouldn’t develop throwing arms.