How Did Rocket Pioneer Jack Parkinson Try to Summon a Fictional Being?

Between Space Genius and Occult Obsession

In the history of space exploration, Jack Parkinson is viewed as one of the founding geniuses of modern rocket science in the United States, playing a pivotal role in developing solid rocket propellant and co-founding the renowned Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Yet behind this sober scientific facade lay another life full of mystery, obsession, and strange rituals that reveal a dark and astonishing side to this brilliant scientist’s personality.

Mysterious Rituals in the Mojave Desert

During the 1940s, Parkinson was not only busy with physics equations and space dynamics, but also deeply immersed in the world of the occult. He led a complex series of rituals inherited from Hermetic philosophies, drawing on obscure texts with an ambitious and mad goal: to summon a supernatural female entity from other realms and physically manifest her in our real world. Parkinson believed that science and spirituality could merge to open gateways to new dimensions, which alarmed and bewildered even those closest to him.

A Dual Legacy Between Science and Imagination

Despite his tragic end in a mysterious explosion in his home laboratory in 1952, Jack Parkinson’s influence remains alive in the American space program to this day. His story serves as a unique reminder that the minds of creators may sometimes take unconventional paths blending the harshest sciences with the strangest sci-fi imaginations, making his biography one of the most controversial stories in the history of modern technology.

By: Hany Sallam

Source: space.com

Published by Hany Sallam

Hany Sallam, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Scientific Magazine Ahram
An independent Arabic science magazine operating since 2008, dedicated to simplifying science, technology, space, natural phenomena and scientific stories for Arabic readers. The magazine includes sections such as “Zodiac Group” and “Stories and Tales”, alongside science topics that combine knowledge with a spirit of discovery. It operates independently and is not affiliated with Al-Ahram Press Foundation or any governmental body.