Rocky worlds larger than Earth are commonplace in the galaxy, and a few of them may even be habitable. Which poses an interesting question: How difficult would it be for aliens living on these super-Earths to launch rockets into space, given the tremendous gravity? According to new research, it would be difficult to the point of impossibility—meaning that some aliens may be perpetually trapped on their home worlds.
That we can launch objects into space using rockets is something we tend to take for granted, but what if our planet were heavier? Like, a lot heavier? It’s a reasonable question to ask, given the prevalence of super-Earths in the Milky Way—large, rocky exoplanets with strong surface gravity. Intelligent extraterrestrials who live on such planets may thus have a difficult time using chemical rockets to leave their world, as new research suggests. This doesn’t mean space travel is impossible for super-Earthlings, it just means they’d have to find another way to do it.
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