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Mr_Asa
Mr_Asa HalfDork
2/23/20 9:16 a.m.

I knew it was going to end up like this, just didn't know when.

https://www.newsweek.com/daredevil-mike-hughes-rocket-crash-1488622

Stampie
Stampie UltimaDork
2/23/20 11:20 a.m.

Sad that a dumbass lost his life but at least he didn't take out anyone else in his stupidity. 

Ian F
Ian F MegaDork
2/23/20 11:27 a.m.

One comment below the article mentioned the rocket didn't have a parachute? Why?

Mr_Asa
Mr_Asa HalfDork
2/23/20 11:27 a.m.

Agreed.  I dont understand his motives either.  He wanted to get to something like 8000-10000 feet on his own to prove the curve wasnt there.  That's the level of a hot air balloon, or a Cessna or any number of other simple and safe methods.

Fueled by Caffeine
Fueled by Caffeine MegaDork
2/23/20 11:29 a.m.
Ian F said:

One comment below the article mentioned the rocket didn't have a parachute? Why?

The video shows a parachute coming off after launch. 

Ian F
Ian F MegaDork
2/23/20 11:36 a.m.
Fueled by Caffeine said:
Ian F said:

One comment below the article mentioned the rocket didn't have a parachute? Why?

The video shows a parachute coming off after launch. 

Is there a different video?  The one in the link above doesn't show anything coming off the rocket when launching.

Mr_Asa
Mr_Asa HalfDork
2/23/20 11:41 a.m.

In reply to Ian F :

The one at the head of the article appears to be an older attempt.  I saw the actual failure video somewhere.  I'll go looking for it

dculberson
dculberson MegaDork
2/23/20 11:43 a.m.

The article I read said the main chute fell off and the backup chutes didn't deploy. I wonder if the backups were manual and not automatic. It was theorized he was knocked unconscious at launch.

the flat earth tie in was just marketing. Stupid but marketing. He didn't care if he saw the curvature of the earth he just wanted to launch rockets. I think he figured the flat earth bit would get him attention and thus funding for his rockets. 

Mr_Asa
Mr_Asa HalfDork
2/23/20 11:45 a.m.

This article has the actual video.  You can see the main chute get ripped off within the first couple hundred feet or so.

Yes, it does show the crash, don't watch if you don't want to see that.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2020/02/23/mad-mike-hughes-dead/

Woody
Woody MegaDork
2/23/20 11:46 a.m.

The small portion of the earth that he slammed into was relatively flat, so at least there's that.

Appleseed
Appleseed MegaDork
2/23/20 11:50 a.m.

Its better to be shot out of a cannon,

Than squeezed out of a tube.

Justjim75
Justjim75 Dork
2/23/20 11:54 a.m.

I'm no rocket scientist but strapping yourself into something trying to make raw thrust with steam doesnt sound like a super good idea anyway.   I mean, the fact that he got high enough to kill himself with gravity instead of steam seems like an accomplishment 

Fueled by Caffeine
Fueled by Caffeine MegaDork
2/23/20 12:06 p.m.

In reply to Justjim75 :

That's one way to look at it. 

Knurled.
Knurled. MegaDork
2/23/20 12:33 p.m.
Mr_Asa said:

Agreed.  I dont understand his motives either.  He wanted to get to something like 8000-10000 feet on his own to prove the curve wasnt there.  That's the level of a hot air balloon, or a Cessna or any number of other simple and safe methods.

The altimeters ave faked numbers in order to hide the truth.

 

There ain't no way to reason somebody out of a position they did not reason themselves into, and are willing to invent more bullE36 M3 to explain away your reasoning.

Fueled by Caffeine
Fueled by Caffeine MegaDork
2/23/20 12:59 p.m.
Knurled. said:
Mr_Asa said:

Agreed.  I dont understand his motives either.  He wanted to get to something like 8000-10000 feet on his own to prove the curve wasnt there.  That's the level of a hot air balloon, or a Cessna or any number of other simple and safe methods.

The altimeters ave faked numbers in order to hide the truth.

 

There ain't no way to reason somebody out of a position they did not reason themselves into, and are willing to invent more bullE36 M3 to explain away your reasoning.

See wuhan thread. The internet's have given people the ability to " do their own research".  
 

now excuse me while I wait for jade helm 2. 
 

 

Wally
Wally MegaDork
2/23/20 5:49 p.m.

This comment should be appreciated by a wider audience;

 

Knurled.
Knurled. MegaDork
2/23/20 7:05 p.m.

In reply to Fueled by Caffeine :

Y'know, I generally get the impression that modern flat earthers (the ones that have cropped up online in the past few years) started as an Internet meme to lampoon how dumb various forms of denialism conspiracy theories are (take your pick, I won't flounder, but there's PLENTY to choose from) and the kind of people who actually believe that crap took off with it and reaffirmed Poe's Law.

mad_machine
mad_machine MegaDork
2/23/20 9:01 p.m.
Justjim75 said:

I'm no rocket scientist but strapping yourself into something trying to make raw thrust with steam doesnt sound like a super good idea anyway.   I mean, the fact that he got high enough to kill himself with gravity instead of steam seems like an accomplishment 

that's not hard, You can fall off a chair and find yourself dead from the effects of gravity

Tk8398
Tk8398 Reader
2/23/20 10:35 p.m.

 

 

 

The previous (relatively) successful launch is shown in this music video too.  I know the people in this band and they said he was a pretty cool person.  Video is slightly NSFW toward the end but nothing too offensive.

MadScientistMatt
MadScientistMatt PowerDork
2/24/20 7:38 a.m.

I have to wonder if this guy truly believed in the flat-earth theory, or just realized that flat-earthers were the best enablers to fund his rocket addiction.

dculberson
dculberson MegaDork
2/24/20 7:57 a.m.

In reply to MadScientistMatt :

I think that's exactly the case. 

pinchvalve
pinchvalve MegaDork
2/24/20 8:07 a.m.

He was a stuntman, much like Evil Knevil, who built his own contraptions to fling himself long distances for fame and fortune. The flat-earth thing was a publicity stunt.

Fueled by Caffeine
Fueled by Caffeine MegaDork
2/24/20 9:07 a.m.
Knurled. said:

In reply to Fueled by Caffeine :

Y'know, I generally get the impression that modern flat earthers (the ones that have cropped up online in the past few years) started as an Internet meme to lampoon how dumb various forms of denialism conspiracy theories are (take your pick, I won't flounder, but there's PLENTY to choose from) and the kind of people who actually believe that crap took off with it and reaffirmed Poe's Law.

 

you may be on to somehting here... 

 

 

Sparkydog
Sparkydog HalfDork
2/24/20 10:07 a.m.

I feel like it's only appropriate to claim that I saw a small missile shoot down his rocket.  It doesn't matter that I didn't actually watch his attempt. Super smart people like me just know when stuff is true.

z31maniac
z31maniac MegaDork
2/24/20 10:24 a.m.
Fueled by Caffeine said:
Knurled. said:

In reply to Fueled by Caffeine :

Y'know, I generally get the impression that modern flat earthers (the ones that have cropped up online in the past few years) started as an Internet meme to lampoon how dumb various forms of denialism conspiracy theories are (take your pick, I won't flounder, but there's PLENTY to choose from) and the kind of people who actually believe that crap took off with it and reaffirmed Poe's Law.

 

you may be on to somehting here... 

 

 

Knurled would say that. He's a deep state operative. cheeky

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