An attempt at space travel ends in death
As far as I know, I’ve gotten exactly one piece of snail mail at The Pulse in the ten years I’ve been writing for the paper. After my review of the Coen Brothers film Hail, Caesar!, I had a man from Rossville write me about how the Earth is flat.
In my article, I had said something to the effect of “the world will continue spinning” and the gentleman, in a very friendly way, explained that the Earth will not continue spinning because, in fact, it never has.
He told me NASA was fake, movies make people perceive a false reality, and that NASA were masters of movie making. The letter ended with a P.S., where he told me he genuinely enjoyed the Coen Brothers film O Brother Where Art Thou?, and in this, I wholeheartedly agree with him. As for the rest, I suppose you could say I’m in the pocket of “big globe”.
The rejection of science is a major issue across the world right now. Just a few days ago, the man currently occupying the presidency called COVID-19 a Democratic hoax, despite hosting two press conferences about the dangers of the virus.
Where does this come from? The documentary Rocketman: Mad Mike’s Mission to Prove the Earth Flat doesn’t provide answers, but it does give a face to some of the stranger ideas in the world.
Daredevil Mike Hughes was known for setting the world record in limo jumping in 2002. At some point in the following years, Mike became interested in rocket science. This term can be used loosely, of course. In the film, Mike states he doesn’t believe in math, or gravity, or making on-time payments for his impounded limousine. What Mike believes in, however, is himself and his cats.
Hughes lived alone on a rental property in Apple Valley, California. He built his rocket from scrap metal he collected and a rudimentary knowledge of metalworking. He also managed to enlist a collection of like-minded individuals, each with an interest in rocket science and varying levels of expertise.
His landlord, Waldo Stakes, is likely the most knowledgeable on the subject. He didn’t consider Mike a friend—but his interest in rocketry and his desire not to watch Mike blow himself up led him to assist in the creation of the rockets.
Mike’s ultimate goal was to reach the stars, so he could take a picture of the Earth and prove it was flat. He had a GoFundMe started to help him raise the $2 million it would cost to reach that goal. At the time of the filming, he had raised $65.
What really sticks out about the film is how many people it takes to enable someone like Mike Hughes. He had a team of a dozen or so enthusiasts, each with their own interesting personalities.
His friend Pat, for instance, believes that aborted fetuses are used as artificial sweeteners in food. A fellow Flat Earther, Pat quotes the Bible a lot and explains that the usage of the world “firmament” in Hebrews is proof of his theory.
This isn’t to say what this group accomplishes isn’t impressive. A steam powered rocket isn’t anything to laugh at—it’s a dangerous creation that requires a lot of skill and work to create.
Despite Mike’s insistence that he doesn’t believe in science or math, he follows the scientific method to create his rocket.
Ideology and reality don’t always mix and most people will choose the side of reality when their lives are on the line.
But a lot of Mike’s success was rooted in luck. His luck ran out about a week ago. During another launch near Barstow, Mike’s parachute deployed too early, was shredded, and his rocket crashed to the ground, killing him. The amusing nature of the documentary is completely undone by this inevitability.
The truth is ignorance is dangerous. The men in the documentary have no business shooting manned rockets into the sky. Experts exist for a reason. We need them running NASA. The CDC. State and local governments. Without them, people can be hurt or killed.
As tempting as it is to laugh at the silliness of naiveté, the consequences are far less entertaining.