3 ms·

Right? A balloon first stage seems like an obvious work-around...

• perl4ever 6y ago
  Insert xkcd about how the difficulty in getting to orbit is speed not altitude. This is all the more true about a larger planet than earth. Sure, you might have a thicker atmosphere, but that's an additional challenge. Needing a balloon (if it made sense, I couldn't do the calculation) would be a reflection of the difficulty above and beyond the increased orbital velocity that is the basic problem.
  • lxmorj 6y ago
    Well sure, but the majority of your energy spent is fighting to get up to speed while in the atmosphere. A balloon or dirigible or some buoyancy play should be able to get you to a certain atmospheric density regardless of planetary gravity. That cuts the bottom off of the rocket equation pyramid and reduces drag immensely at your 'starting' point.