Question

Can anyone please help me with this question!?? It's due tomorrow!:(
" Why is the only viable way to launch payloads to orbit from the Earth a chemical rocket?"

Answer 1

Well... it requires a great deal of work (energy) for an object to be lifted above Earth's surface, given how massive Earth is and the resulting large gravitational force. This means that energy must be transferred from one form to the energy required to provide the upward thrust to allow the payload to travel at the required velocity to reach its orbit. There's only a certain number of ways we can transfer energy from one form to another, and most of these are either very inefficient or require huge apparatus etc. - electrically-powered rockets, for example, do exist, but require a ridiculous amount of energy for comparatively small amount of thrust and are thus ridiculously expensive and inadequate. Chemically-powered rockets however are quite simple and can provide an immense amount of thrust through burning their combustible fuel, and so are the only economically and physically viable option for sending payloads into orbit.