Man Plans to Launch Himself in a Homemade Rocket
A 61-year-old self-taught rocket engineer is hoping to launch himself 2,000 feet in the air this upcoming Saturday.
“Mad” Mike Hughes has spent the last few year building the steam-powered rocket out of items he has salvaged. According to the Associated Press, the entire project has cost him around $20,000.
This price point includes Rust-Oleum red paint as well as a motor home he purchases on Craigslist. Hughes transformed the mobile home into a ramp that will launch the self-made rocket into the air.
He is hoping his first attempted will launch him up to 1,800 feet in the air and will make him travel 500 mph says HuffPost.
Self-styled scientist to launch himself into orbit in homemade rocket to prove #FlatEarth https://t.co/ELGjEI9uNC pic.twitter.com/09GveQb0ye
— RT (@RT_com) November 23, 2017
This may just sound like a publicity stunt, but Mike is mainly doing this for one reason. One of his main sponsors for the rocket launch is a group called Flat Earth. This group’s main philosophy is that the Earth isn’t round, but rather flat. In photos of Mike and the rocket, you can see the words “RESEARCH FLAT EARTH” painted on the side.
Hughes told the Associated Press that he doesn’t “believe in science.” He continued “I know about aerodynamics and fluid dynamics and how things move through the air, about the certain size of rocket nozzles, and thrust. But that’s not science, that’s just a formula. There’s no difference between science and science fiction.”
He is hoping his rocket launches him high enough that he can see visual evidence of the world being flat.
Now, this isn’t the first time Mike has created a rocket. He crafted one back in 2014 which flew up to 1,000 feet. The rocket creator also managed to be awarded a Guinness World Record in 2002. He managed to jump the longest ramp while riding in a limousine.
Curious audiences will be able to watch his launch on his website. If it is successful, he is planning to “announce his plans to leap into the race for governor of California” says the Associated Press.
Sarah is a Hufflepuff living in NYC. When she is not traveling or talking to random animals, she is working as a script writer. Tweet her at @lumpyspacederp
