Would lower gravity lead to earlier spaceflight?

This is in regards to the Tyranny of Rocket Fuel. Summed up: Heavier ships need more fuel which makes them heavier, etc. You end up with diminishing returns. This is compounded by higher gravity - Everything is heavier in the first place. There's an article that claims that, beyond 1.5g, conventional rockets become effectively unusable.

But what if we take that the other direction? Lower gravity lowers the weight, which lowers the fuel required, etc. So, you get more "Efficient" rockets.

Now, to my question. Say we have a civilization, at the beginning of rocketry. They're largely identical to humans, except for one key difference: Their planet is smaller and has gravity that is 1/6 that of Earth.

Would that civilization's rocketry/spaceflight advance at a quicker pace than we have seen in our own history?

Things to be ignored:

• Differences in the planet other than what would be caused by the gravity and size. Assume the same resources, oceans, atmospheric pressure at sea level, etc.
• Differences between this hypothetical species and humans. Just assume they're humans for terms of mass, food requirements, etc.

posted almost 6 years ago

Andon‭

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