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Flat Earther Plans To Launch Homemade Manned Rocket (apnews.com)

Posted by msmash on from the beware dept.

walterbyrd shares an Associated Press report: Self-taught rocket scientist "Mad" Mike Hughes is a 61-year-old limo driver who's spent the last few years building a steam-powered rocket out of salvage parts in his garage. His project has cost him $20,000, which includes Rust-Oleum paint to fancy it up and a motor home he bought on Craigslist that he converted into a ramp. His first test of the rocket will also be the launch date -- Saturday, when he straps into his homemade contraption and attempts to hurtle over the ghost town of Amboy, California. He will travel about a mile at a speed of roughly 500 mph. "I don't believe in science," said Hughes, whose main sponsor for the rocket is Research Flat Earth. "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."
UPDATE (11/25/17): His first launch atttempt had to be cancelled after his homemade launcher broke down in his driveway.

61 of 555 comments (clear)

  1. OMG by Chrisq · · Score: 5, Insightful

    OMG will someone stop him from this suicide attempt?

    1. Re:OMG by Kokuyo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      To what end? At this point he's jut a waste of space.

    2. Re:OMG by gtvr · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I wonder if the mechanics of landing are just formulas or "science fiction"

    3. Re:OMG by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 5, Funny

      Stop him, hell. I just donated to his kickstarter.

      --
      If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
    4. Re:OMG by CeasedCaring · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Why? This is Darwinism at work (not that he believes in that, either!)

    5. Re:OMG by msauve · · Score: 2

      So someone else doesn't have to clean up the gory mess.

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    6. Re:OMG by s13g3 · · Score: 2

      But... Space going to space can't wait.
      Space space wanna go to space yes please space. Space space...

      SpaaaaaaAAaaaaaaAaaaace!

      On a more serious note, never forget Hanlon's razor, and feel free to let the willfully ignorant thin out their own herd, as long as they don't hurt anyone else in their quest to shuffle their mortal coil.

      --
      "Inveniemus Viam Aut Faciemus" 'We will find a way... Or we will make one!' --Hannibal of Carthage
    7. Re:OMG by bigwheel · · Score: 5, Informative

      TFA says that he plans to open two parachutes, and presumably float to safety. For those old enough to remember, this is not very different from what Evil Knievel did when jumping the Snake River canyon. EK had to know that there was no way he'd land it on 2 wheels. The difference was that EK made a lot of money with his "failed" stunt.

    8. Re:OMG by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      He might injure someone else in the attempt.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    9. Re:OMG by rastos1 · · Score: 2

      OMG will someone stop him from this suicide attempt?

      See, this is what we call "a hypothesis". It says: Mike Hughes dies as result of his experiment. It's a fine hypothesis. Testable. I suggest to perform the experiment and then test whether the hypothesis matches the observed result.

    10. Re:OMG by Chrisq · · Score: 2

      And the person he lands on? Is that Darwinism at work?

      If he lands on the guy who decided not to stop him because it's Darwinism at work then yes

    11. Re: OMG by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2

      My personal favorite theory is if we take all the people who believe apollo was faked to the moon, would they actually walk outside without a space suit?

      I don't see the logic in your theory.

      Do you think that people who believe the moon landing was faked think there is oxygen on the moon? There's no correlation here.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    12. Re:OMG by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 5, Funny

      Now he's a Flat-Earther. He's merely about to become a flat Earther.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    13. Re:OMG by gnick · · Score: 2

      ...the guy who decided not to stop him...

      I'm guessing that guy is you, me, and pretty well everyone else.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    14. Re:OMG by Verdatum · · Score: 2

      Right? What if he crashes into the dome-shaped projection screen upon that the government has somehow projected the fake image of the moon for all of recorded and oral history?!?!?

    15. Re:OMG by edtice1559 · · Score: 2

      I assume you haven't RTFA. He has actually done something similar before. And it's not really a rocket. It's shaped like a rocket but he's basically going to launch himself into the air with a jet of steam and parachute down. The vehicle will crash. It's not really impressive other than having built it from scrap. The project itself has nothing to do with flat earth.

    16. Re:OMG by Jeremi · · Score: 2

      If it turns out that the moon is a flat disk attached to a black ceiling several thousand feet overhead, then he's got a pretty good chance of getting there. The tricky part will be the moon landing -- turning the rocket upside down (while simultaneously grappling it to the moon's surface so as not to fall back to Earth) won't be easy.

      --


      I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
    17. Re:OMG by spun · · Score: 2

      Steam rockets are still rockets. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    18. Re:OMG by budgenator · · Score: 4, Funny

      If he changes the water for 100% hydrogen peroxide he might get high enough to see the edge. The real problem is when your up that high, the mind controll rays are real strong; if your not wearing at least 3 layers of tin foil they'll get through and all you'll remember is seeing round not flat!

      --
      Apocalypse Cancelled, Sorry, No Ticket Refunds
    19. Re:OMG by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      Why exactly?

      Sorry, I'm done with trying to make the world a better place. All I want to do now is watch it fall apart on YouTube.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    20. Re: OMG by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      But I have a financial interest in him! He's going to kill himself and I want to cash in on that, if that isn't a financial interest in someone, then what is?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    21. Re:OMG by glenebob · · Score: 2

      That "someone else" has a good paying job cleaning up gory messes. Why would you wish unemployment on someone you've never even met?

    22. Re: OMG by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Nonsense. We're just biased to think of ourselves as the lucky ones because we observe ourselves having been born. The ones who were not born in this reality were born in alternate realities, where doubtless they consider themselves the lucky ones and us the unlucky ones.

      And they might be right. Our reality is the one with President Trump, after all.

    23. Re:OMG by jwhyche · · Score: 5, Funny

      Oh look. Three more words that will never be in my obituary, "home made rocket."

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    24. Re:OMG by jwhyche · · Score: 4, Informative

      He will bounce off the transparent dome that keeps all the air in first long before he reaches the moon.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    25. Re:OMG by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      The project itself has nothing to do with flat earth.

      Actually it sounds just like something one of those nuts would come up with.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    26. Re:OMG by meglon · · Score: 2
      Just going to point out some old wives tales you have in there....

      http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2...

      United States: In the past, many states had laws that regarded the act of suicide as a felony, but these laws were seldom enforced. In the 1980s, 30 out of 50 United States has no laws opposing suicide or attempting suicide. With that said, all 50 states had laws stating that assisted suicide is a felony. Currently there is no law against the act of committing suicide in the United States.

      Additionally, physician assisted suicide is wider spread than just Oregon... they were simply the first. http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/26/...

      Only in portions of Nevada is prostitution legal, not the entirety of the state.

      Public nudity is more widely accepted (legally) than you've limited it too, but here each city can have it's own ordinances, so listing them would need a staggering amount of space, and as much effort; so here's an already written article:

      http://www.thefrisky.com/2016-...

      --
      Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
    27. Re:OMG by meglon · · Score: 2

      Well, he's more likely to break some of the hanging lights that are "stars," and if he breaks certain ones, he could get in real Sirius trouble.

      --
      Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
    28. Re:OMG by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 3, Funny

      That isn’t going to make him any dumber...

      --
      Blank until /. makes another boneheaded UI decision.
    29. Re:OMG by Wintermute__ · · Score: 2

      You can't know that yet. Someone like this guy might land on you while you are sitting in rush hour traffic on the freeway. Or while you sleep in your bed at night. Who knows! Home made rockets could become popular next week. Or not.

    30. Re: OMG by SuricouRaven · · Score: 3, Interesting

      One person would walk out and die.

      The second would be confused for a few minutes, then realise that the entire set has been built as a giant vacuum chamber to trick them - it's probably inside a huge cave underground, with spotlights on the ceiling. He'll tell the others, and no more venture outside.

      Conspiracy theories will adapt to counter any evidence presented.

  2. I can't even this morning by HumanWiki · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can't.. I was going to quote some stuff and then comment on some other.. but, I can't..

    Even Wile E Coyote wasn't that stupid.

    1. Re:I can't even this morning by Kokuyo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Wile E. Coyote is actually a pretty diametral example. A lot of his failures were due to cartoon physics not being real physics. This joker here has it kinda backwards ;).

    2. Re:I can't even this morning by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      Well at least he is trying to prove his hypothesis, vs just sitting there and being grumpy about it.
      Perhaps after a few failures, he may need to read up on some of physics involved. Then try again, perhaps he could actually put a device in orbit...

      Who am I kidding, it is going to fail, and because his rocket failed, it proved that going to space and in orbit is impossible, because the earth is flat.

      Proof by laziness.
       

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    3. Re:I can't even this morning by Venerable+Vegetable · · Score: 2

      I don't understand this reasoning. Science is not something to believe in, it is not a religion. It is like saying you don't need to believe in dough to be a good pastry chef. As an engineer you are building on science. If you are building a rocket that can go 500 MpH, you are definately using science.

      He's not conjuring up a rocket out of thin air is he? He's building something, predicting the what it will do, testing and evaluating the results, improve and repeat. Science.

      Furthermore, he is questioning the assumption that the earth is round. He is going to test his assumption that it is flat. Science.

      He is also nuts, but that is hardly relevant.

    4. Re: I can't even this morning by hey! · · Score: 2

      He isn't going get nearly high enough to see the curvature of the Earth ... That'd be about 35000 feet, or about 10km. He's planning to travel a mile or so downrange, which assuming most of the flight is ballistic means he'll achieve less than a half km altitude.

      And "ballistic" is a key point. It's not clear whether he's built an actual rocket or a rocket shaped projectile fired out of a steam cannon, but given the enormous weight of a steam pressure vessel I'm guessing it's a projectile. You wouldn't launch a steam locomotive into the air, you'd keep the heavy bits on the ground. Kind of like a carrier steam catapult.

      That conjecture would be consistent with his last attempt, which travelled only a quarter mile yet left him disabled for several days with acceleration injuries.

      Now if he were less antagonistic toward science he might perform a preliminary experiment: launch his capsule unmanned and measure the acceleration he'd experience. Its quite possible he would be dead or unconscious for most of his flight. A proper engineer could calculate a rough estimate of acceleration.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  3. Let's hope... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Let's hope his test on Saturday goes well and that he proves Darwin's theory of evolution.

  4. his troll-fu is weak by Thud457 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's gotten to the point where we can't tell the trolls from the idiots. It's just easier to assume they're all idiots.

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    1. Re:his troll-fu is weak by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      ( Trol(ls Id)iots)

    2. Re:his troll-fu is weak by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      Then why differentiate? Just watch and enjoy the fallout. Either from a troll making someone blow a gasket or from an idiot blowing himself up, it's all good.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  5. Darwin Award in the making by doggo1939 · · Score: 2

    Doesn't believe in science. Uses science to kill himself.

    1. Re:Darwin Award in the making by Kokuyo · · Score: 2

      While technically possible, I think he's a bit old to be considered for Darwin awards. Especially if he's already procreated. Let's hope he has not.

  6. Re: Total flamebait article by sg_oneill · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Can you not please try and speak for the rest of us? Itâ(TM)s a science article about home made rockets , this is a geek site. Itâ(TM)s exactly what the site is about and has always been about , and Iâ(TM)ve been here since the nineties

    --
    Excuse the Unicode crap in my posts. That's an apostrophe, and slashdot is busted.
  7. Pass the popcorn by bjorniac · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Self-taught rocket scientist..."

    This is gonna be good.

    1. Re:Pass the popcorn by bjorniac · · Score: 5, Informative

      No. Von Braun learnt from Ley and Oberth, and did a PhD in physics specializing in rocketry at Friedrich-Wilhelm University.

  8. Doesn't believe in science... by Tomahawk · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...so does some science!

    He believes the Earth is flat, and wants to build a rocket so that he can go up and take a look for himself.

    So he has an hypothesis and is going to build and experiment to either prove or disprove it...

    Maybe his definition of science is a bit different from mine, though...

  9. Society shouldn't stop him by mykepredko · · Score: 2

    The guy is 61 years old, seems to be holding down a job from which he is able to save for his hobby. He likes to make grandiose statements but if he's applying the "formulas" (rather than the "science") correctly, he should succeed which means that he's not trying to commit suicide publicly.

    I don't think anybody can give odds on his success (especially from the article) but I think, as a society, we've become too risk averse and we need to encourage people like "Mad" Mike to go out there. Maybe there's something to a steam powered booster that makes it more attractive/economical than a traditional rocket - this could be the next 10x reduction in launch costs.

    Or it could result in a smoking hole in the ground - but if large corporations (ie ULA) aren't creative enough to try radically new ideas like this, then we need the (slightly) nutty among us to push the ideas forwards even if it puts their lives at risk.

    --
    Mimetics Inc. Twitter
    1. Re:Society shouldn't stop him by naughtynaughty · · Score: 2

      If only we had the science to figure out if steam boosters could launch things into space economically or even at all.

  10. The real question by grasshoppa · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Is how we can encourage this behavior. Encourage everyone who doesn't "believe" in science to take themselves out. It could only help the species.

    Of course, we'd lose most of our politicians....so it's really a win/win.

    --
    Mod me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
  11. Breaking news! by Narcocide · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Rocket scientist trolls entire world by building a rocket out of garbage while claiming not to be a scientist. Plans to adhere to the scientific method while claiming not to believe in science.

    Godspeed, you mad scientist. Onward for science!

    1. Re:Breaking news! by pz · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Ah, someone gets it!

      This guy is attempting one of the biggest trolls I've ever seen! The best part is his underlying message, which is pure science: "I don't believe you, and I'm going to check for myself." How much more Aristotelian can you get?

      --

      Put my fist through my alarm clock with its ding-dong death inside my ear. - The Blackjacks.
  12. Good idea? by jqpublic13 · · Score: 2

    Wait, wait, wait... this is a terrible idea...

    (Grabs popcorn)

    Okay, you can proceed now.

    --
    Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat.
  13. Mock him all you want by the_skywise · · Score: 2, Interesting

    But this guy is doing more real science and engineering than most of us ever will.
    Oh sure, he mocks the terms - but I interpret that as mocking the orthodoxy. "You can't do that - y'all aint got no degree and learnin!".

  14. Re:slashdot anti-intellectualism by lowkeyknight · · Score: 2
    GPS

    The laser we routinely bounce of the mirror we put ON THE MOON

    Photos

    The International Space Station

    Navigation, that works

    Satellites

    Eclipses

    The position of the stars

    The fact that everything based on physics, which requires the earth to be round and the solar system to be heliocentric to work....works.

    Facts, provable, replicable, testable science. Just...stop. it's so...damn...sad.

  15. Way cool, but needs a better chute! [Re:OMGQ] by Geoffrey.landis · · Score: 4, Informative

    I wonder if the mechanics of landing are just formulas or "science fiction"

    TFA says that he plans to open two parachutes, and presumably float to safety.

    Yeah. Take a look at the chute on his first launch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
    Definitely needs some rethinking, and, yes, a second chute is a really good idea.

    With that said, though: this is really cool!

    another yootoob, this one with still pictures from a test a few months later. You definitely did not want to land inside THAT rocket! https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    For those old enough to remember, this is not very different from what Evil Knievel did when jumping the Snake River canyon.

    Strike "what Evil Knievel did". Substitute "what Evil Knievel tried to do.

    --
    http://www.geoffreylandis.com
  16. Re: Total flamebait article by Trailer+Trash · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's a geek site, and yet you're either trademarking a bunch of a's with little hats or they still haven't figured out Unicode 20 years in.

    --
    Do you have ESP?
  17. Making Earth Flat Again by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Funny

    "I don't believe in science," said Hughes

    I think Trump may have found his new director of NASA.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  18. Hold on... by cmdr_klarg · · Score: 2

    Is it named the Vulture? His goal is the moon!

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt00...

    --
    THE SOFTWARE, IT NO WORKY!!!
  19. Re: Total flamebait article by houghi · · Score: 2

    I also do not understand the hate. He is more excentric than dangerous. And a steamengine powerd rocket? I do not care if it moves at all, I want to see that. This is like a person building a house from matches. Sure it won't pass fire inspection, but it is impressive no matter what.

    I wish him all the best and even secretly hope it works. Because that would be awesome: a steampunck rocket going to the moon as if it was written by Jules Verne. Who can be against that?

    --
    Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
  20. Wat by x_t0ken_407 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I don't believe in science...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.

    You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means.

  21. There are cheaper ways... by zarmanto · · Score: 2

    Let's not misunderstand what he's doing here; it has nothing whatsoever to do with attempting to prove or disprove anything at all. The whole flat-earth thing is just an excuse to get someone with deep enough pockets to fund his stunt rocket. The reality is, it would be so much cheaper (and safer!) to exceed the altitude he's going to reach by just chartering a flight on most any airline; they routinely achieve altitudes of 35,000 feet, (6.6 miles) and tickets for the flight wouldn't come even remotely near to the cost of his $20K publicity stunt.

    Which, by the way, is all that this is, in the end... because you can't readily see the curvature of the earth until you reach at least 50,000 feet. (Modern airlines don't generally reach that high, since they grounded the Concorde.)