Flat Earther Will Blast Off In $20K Homemade Rocket This Weekend

One of the most popular topics on the internet this year, for better or worse, was the rising flat earth movement and their belief that we are being lied to about the shape of the earth.

Earlier this month, the first ever “flat earth conference” was held in the US and drew hundreds of people from all across the country. There have been a number of crowdfunding efforts for independent explorations to the reaches of space or “the edge of the earth,” with rapper B.o.B hoping to raise $1 million to send a satellite into space to settle the debate once and for all. There have even been talks of a reality TV show in which flat earthers attempt to journey to the edge of the earth, which they believe to be a giant wall of ice.

The most interesting flat earth experiment thus far is expected to take place this weekend, when 61-year-old limo driver “Mad” Mike Hughes plans to launch himself as high as he can go in a homemade rocket so he can see the shape of the earth for himself.

“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. There’s no difference between science and science fiction. If you’re not scared to death, you’re an idiot. It’s scary as hell, but none of us are getting out of this world alive. I like to do extraordinary things that no one else can do, and no one in the history of mankind has designed, built, and launched himself in his own rocket,” Hughes told the AP.

Hughes hopes to reach speeds of up to 500 MPH and reach heights of 1,800 feet, but it is not clear what he is hoping to see at such a low altitude, considering that commercial airplanes fly at an average of 39,000 feet. Apparently, his plan is to continue to build upon the rocket design so eventually, he can build one that can shoot miles into the air. This will be the second time that he has blasted off in one of these rockets, with his previous attempt reaching 1,374 feet. This newest rocket has cost $20,000 and was paid for with a mixture of crowdfunding and sponsorships, although it was widely reported that the rocket is made from scrap materials.

Hughes promised to “shut the door on this ball earth,” with his next mission.

“Nothing is out of reach. Anything can be done. You just have to put enough money, time, and thought into it. This is the king of the deceptions. This is it. And once this domino falls and more people come to this side, then everything else — the domino structure falls,” he said.

Image: Self-taught rocket builder Mike Hughes plans to fly in his homemade rocket above the Mojave Desert in Southern California on Nov. 25. (Patrick Martin/The Washington Post)