The force pulling downwards on a rocket as it is launched into space is gravity.

Here's why:

* Gravity is a force of attraction between any two objects with mass. The Earth has a large mass, so it exerts a strong gravitational pull on everything near it, including rockets.

* This downward pull is what the rocket has to overcome in order to escape Earth's atmosphere and travel into space.

While the rocket is on the launchpad, the force of gravity is countered by the force generated by the rocket's engines. Once the engines fire, they produce a force that is greater than the force of gravity, allowing the rocket to accelerate upwards.