Here is an idea:
Why do we not dig deep shaft-like holes into the Earth, place explosives at strategic locations within the shaft, add the payload and detonate in sequence the explosives to provide a thrust sufficient enough to "shoot" the payload into orbit?
I'm thinking like if you have a rifle and the barrel is this shaft, the bullet is the payload and the gun powder is the explosive...
Would this be impossible? Would the required depth of the shaft be just too great? If yes, could we not have the shaft at less of an incline and then slowly increase the incline so that we wouldn't need to dig so deep?
What do you guys/girls think?
Rich.