Flat-earther to launch himself into orbit

A man who believes the Earth is flat is planning on launching himself into orbit — though, of course, he may not use that word to describe his stunt.

Flat-earther Mike Hughes, who has previously attempted to launch across the Mojave Desert, has his sights set on the sky after people on private land said he could launch his steam-powered rocket from their plot.

The previous attempt to launch himself across the desert was shut down by the federal government, which said he had no permission to conduct his mission on public property. Even so, his promotion of the rocket launch — which is just phase one in his quest to get enough cash to be able to afford the balloon and suit necessary to get him to near-space — brought him a lot of attention.

His revised first stage in that plan is a little different than a launch across the desert. This time, he’s planning on shooting himself straight up for a third of the mile. Hopefully, he can win back the faith of a public that has turned to mocking him for his lack of faith in the generally accepted shape of the planet.

“The flat-Earth stuff, it makes people crazy,” Mr Hughes recently told the Washington Post. “No matter what I do, people are going to minimise it.”

The launch will be broadcast live on the website Noize TV, according to RT, and Mr Hughes is charging $5 per viewer. No spectators will be allowed to join the crew at the launch site, and Mr Hughes has warned that any drones seen on the private property — which is located along Route 66 in Amboy, California — will be shot down.

The town of Amboy is a ghost town along that famed highway that has no running water, little electricity, but has still managed to keep four residents. The entire town was bout in 2005 at a cost of $435,000, which owner Albert Okura says is quite the drop from a few years earlier when it was listed for $1.2 million.