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The Tyranny of the Rocket Equation
And, if your curiosity goes beyond that basic explanation, check out this NASA page on rocket launches:
Chapter 14: Launch
Getting into orbit doesn't just require overcoming the force of gravity pulling down. In order to stay up, you basically have to put yourself on a path that allows you to go around the Earth faster (or as fast as) you fall back towards it. When your movement around the Earth is balanced with the rate that you're falling, you are in orbit. This means you have to go really fucking fast, not just up but sideways.
Kind of off topic. But people who came up with superheros and such who fly. You always see them going out at an angle and going in at an angle. Do you think they did this much studying or is it just coincidence?