Steam Powered Rockets. A "SpaceX Killer"?

[Nikxice]

If the media can invent "Tesla Killers", why hold back, maybe time to tag SpaceX! Only joking of course. Got a kick out of this one man rocket story. The only shared attribute with SpaceX is both are located in CA, although some SpaceX sub-forum readers might miss it over in Off Topic. Watching the launch video I thought the craziest part was the close proximity of the bystanders to the rocket. Scalded by a potential ground explosion wouldn't be too pleasant. Proof enough to me that there wasn't any gubberment meddling in this project!

https://gizmodo.com/at-long-last-flat-earth-rocketeer-finally-manages-to-b-1824059035

This stunt reminds me a little bit of the movie 'The Astronaut Farmer' made about ten years ago with Billy Bob Thornton. Pretty far-fetched, but I still found it entertaining. Probably still available on Netflix or elsewhere.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Upholding the very best tradition of Mojave experimenters, tinkers and space nuts! I love it! Not many people know this, but SpaceX’s first engineers worked for one startup or another based in Mojave.

 

[AudubonB]

I can fix that thread head for you:

Steam Powered Rockets: A Killer

 

[Nikxice]

Unfortunately for stuntman Mike Hughes, @AudubonB correctly predicted the fate of steam-powered rocketry two years ago. This past Saturday Mike's rocket suffered an early malfunction that resulted in his ship augering into the desert outside of Barstow. A full video was available that afternoon. Probably for the best, I don't see it up anymore. Sometime after I started this thread I found a documentary about Mike that was quite entertaining (Amazon Prime). It's mentioned at the bottom of the article I'll link below. Mike's purpose wasn't trying to prove the earth was flat like a frisbee, perhaps more about just enjoying life to its fullest. R.I.P. 'Mad' Mike.
Daredevil 'Mad' Mike Hughes Killed In Crash Of Homemade Rocket

 

[AudubonB]

I did? How prescient obvious of me. I'll have to go back so as to pat myself on the back....

 

[AudubonB]

Aah - there we are. It's odd but I didn't see that Mar 2018 post of mine in this thread yesterday. Were some threads merged, perhaps?

No matter. The whole fiasco was a bad idea whose time has gone never was.