Flat-Earther's publicity-stunt fails when rocket fails to launch.

[DetlefK]

https://www.denverpost.com/2018/02/06/flat-earther-rocket-launch-fails/

While of no scientific value to either classical or flat-Earth physics, the Mojave stunt was intended to publicize Hughes’ mission and raise the $2 million necessary for his final mission later this year: to ride a hot-air balloon many miles into the sky, then use a rocket-pack to fly even higher and assess the shape of the horizon.

“It’ll shut the door on this ball earth,” as Hughes put it in one of his pitches.

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But the rocket just sat there, pulled directly down toward the Earth’s core, as Isaac Newton predicted, not going up and not sliding sideways toward the infinite cliffs of ice that ring the edge of the world in flat Earth models.

“The launch ain’t happening,” Zero finally admitted.

Hughes climbed out of the rocket to face the cameras. He scratched his head. “Maybe I left a plug in there,” he said. Maybe an O-ring melted. Who knew?

“I pulled the plunger five different times,” Hughes said. “I considered beating on the rocket nozzle from the underneath side. But you can’t get anyone under there. It’ll kill you. It’ll scald you to death. It’ll blow the skin and muscle off your bones.”

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Hughes’ plans are unclear now. He said he’d take apart the rocket to see what went wrong, but had commitments to think of besides science. He was supposed to be in court on Tuesday, he told the crowd, because he was suing the governor of California for unspecified reasons. He was also trying to claim the legal right to Charles Manson’s guitar. He was a man of many ambitions.

“Guys, I’m sorry,” Hughes said. “What can you do?”