Now that we got a new planet hunter in orbit (TESS^), we’re bound to find many more Earth-like planets. And, judging by discoveries so far, it’s quite likely that a lot of these planets will be super Earths, that is, terrestrial planets with a mass higher than Earth’s.

One of the most interesting and often-overlooked problem with super Earths concerns their gravity. These planets are big, meaning that their gravity would make it very difficult not only for potential human settlers to land or take off again, but also for any intelligent species that might develop there and attempt space travel.

https://www.space.com/40375-super-earth-exoplanets-hard-aliens-launch.html

Personally, I think the increased gravity would force an intelligent species to come up with more advanced propulsion technologies, provided that the species is even curious about outer space.

What if the species is more interested in their own planet? Perhaps before going into space, they would invest more in taking care of, understanding and integrating with the spaceship they’re already on. I believe this would give such a species an even better chance of colonizing other planets. Knowing you’re trapped on a planet might make you take better care of your world’s environment.

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