A California man is fighting the government for the right to fire himself 1,800 feet above the Mojave Desert in a home-made, steam-powered rocket. He wants to do this to prove the Earth is flat. “Mad” Mike Hughes had billed his debut flight as a first step toward ultimately photographing Earth from outer space and proving that previous photos showing a round planet were faked. “I don’t believe in science,” Hughes says.
Federal officials blocked Hughes from taking off from public land, so he plans to take off from private property.
“It’s not easy,” he says of his mission, “because it’s not supposed to be easy.”