Man dies after homemade rocket crashes on mission to prove earth is flat
Joe Roberts for Metro.co.uk
A US daredevil pilot has died after his self-made rocket crashed into the ground.
‘Mad’ Mike Hughes, 64, hoped to blast himself into outer space to check for himself whether the Earth is flat or a globe.
Shocking footage shows his steam-powered rocket being fired into the sky near Barstow, California, before plummeting to the ground shortly after take-off.
Mike’s parachute was seen dropping to the ground, without his body attached.
According to Space.com, the launch was going to feature in a new TV series about amateur rocket makers for the US Science Channel.
The Science Channel confirmed the tragic news, tweeting: ‘Michael ‘Mad Mike’ Hughes tragically passed away today during an attempt to launch his homemade rocket.
Footage shows the moment Mike Hughes’ robot spirals out of control
Mike Hughes blasts off in a homemade rocket near Barstow, California
‘Our thoughts & prayers go out to his family & friends during this difficult time.
‘It was always his dream to do this launch & Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey.’
Hughes was trying to reach an altitude of 5,000ft (1,525m), with the help of his partner Waldo Stakes.
His team spent around $18,000 (£14,000) building the homemade rocket, which used steam ejected through a nozzle for propulsion.
Hughes became internationally famous when he announced his intention to prove his ‘flat earth’ theory.
Hughes with one of his homemade rockets in 2017
His first successful rocket launch on March 24, 2018, reached a height of 1,875 feet (572 m) before landing hard in the Mojave Desert.
Last year, another attempted rocket launch was grounded after Hughes reportedly used a defective water heater bought from craigslist.
The daredevil had a history of attempting breathtaking stunts.
He set a Guinness world record in 2002 when he jumped 103 feet (31 m) jump in a stretch limo.
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