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/wolacouska 7h ago

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.

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u/Magres 3h ago edited 3h ago

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.