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Associated Press

A California man who said he wanted to fly to the edge of outer space to see if the world is round has died after his home-made rocket blasted off into the desert sky and plunged back to earth.
“Mad” Mike Hughes was killed on Saturday afternoon after his rocket crashed on private property near Barstow, California.
Waldo Stakes, a colleague who was at the rocket launch, said Hughes, 64, was killed.
The Science Channel said on Twitter it had been chronicling Hughes’ journey and that “thoughts & prayers go out to his family & friends during this difficult time”.

“It was always his dream to do this launch,” the Twitter message said.
Hughes also was a limousine driver, who held the Guinness world record for “longest limousine ramp jump”, for jumping 31 metres in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine, at a speedway in 2002.
Flat Earth believer and self-taught rocket scientist blasts off into sky
A video showed the rocket taking off, with what appears to be a parachute tearing off during the launch. The steam-powered rocket streaks upwards, then takes around 10 seconds to fall straight back to earth. Shrieks can be heard as the rocket falls into the desert.
Freelance journalist Justin Chapman, who was at the scene, said the rocket appeared to rub against the launch apparatus, which might have caused the mishap with the parachute.
Chapman told The Los Angeles Times in an interview that Hughes might have been knocked unconscious during take-off.

In March 2018, Hughes propelled himself about 570 metres into the air. He deployed one parachute and then a second one but still had a hard landing in the Mojave Desert in California, and injured his back.
“This thing wants to kill you 10 different ways,” Hughes said after that launch. “This thing will kill you in a heartbeat.”
Warning: this video contains scenes some viewers may find disturbing


He said in a video that his goal was to eventually fly to the edge of outer space to determine for himself whether the world is round.
“I don’t want to take anyone else’s word for it,” he said in the video, posted on the BBC News website. “I don’t know if the world is flat or round.”
YouTube blamed for rise in number of ‘Flat Earthers’
In another video posted on his YouTube site, Hughes said he also wanted “to convince people they can do things that are extraordinary with their lives”.
“My story really is incredible,” Hughes once said.

“It’s got a bunch of storylines – the garage-built thing. I’m an older guy. It’s out in the middle of nowhere, plus the Flat Earth. The problem is it brings out all the nuts also.”
Additional reporting by Reuters


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United States

‘Mad’ Mike Hughes believed Earth was flat. He was killed when his home-made rocket crashed in California desert

It was speculated that Mike Hughes might have been knocked unconscious during take-off. Photo: AP

FILE - In this March 6, 2018, file photo, "Mad" Mike Hughes reacts after the decision to scrub another launch attempt of his rocket near Amboy, Calif. The self-styled daredevil died Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020, after a rocket in which he launched himself crashed into the ground, a colleague and a witness said. (James Quigg/Daily Press via AP, File)

In this Saturday afternoon, Feb. 22, 2020, photo "Mad" Mike Hughes rocket plunges back to earth near Barstow, Calif. A California man who said he wanted to fly to the edge of outer space to see if the world is flat or round has died after his home-built rocket blasted off into the desert sky and plunged back to earth. "Mad" Mike Hughes, 64, was killed on Saturday after his rocket crashed. (Mercedes Blackehart via AP)

In this Saturday afternoon, Feb. 22, 2020, photo "Mad" Mike Hughes rocket climbs his his home-built rocket before its launch near Barstow, Calif. Hughes, a California man who said he wanted to fly to the edge of outer space to see if the world is flat or round has died after his home-built rocket blasted off into the desert sky and plunged back to earth. "Mad" Mike Hughes, 64, was killed on Saturday after his rocket crashed. (Mercedes Blackehart via AP)

‘I manned up and did it’: flat Earth believer and self-taught rocket scientist blasts off into California sky

Mike Hughes shot himself 1,875 feet into the air before a hard landing in the Mojave Desert, and he now plans to go higher to prove the Earth is shaped ‘like a frisbee’

FILE - In this March 6, 2018, file photo, "Mad" Mike Hughes reacts after the decision to scrub another launch attempt of his rocket near Amboy, Calif. The self-taught rocket scientist who believes the Earth is flat propelled himself about 1,000 feet into the air before a hard-landing in the Mojave Desert that left him injured Saturday, March 24, 2018. Hughes tells The Associated Press that he injured his back but is otherwise fine after Saturday's launch near Amboy, Calif. (James Quigg/Daily Press via AP, File)

"Mad" Mike Hughes' home-made rocket launches near Amboy, Calif., on Saturday, March 24, 2018. The self-taught rocket scientist who believes the Earth is flat propelled himself about 1,875 feet into the air before a hard-landing in the Mojave Desert that left him injured. (Matt Hartman via AP)

Mike Hughes repairs a steam leak on his home-made rocket after a previously cancelled launch. But on Saturday, he blasted himself about 1,875 feet into the air before a hard landing in the Mojave Desert. Photo: AP

YouTube blamed for rise in number of ‘Flat Earthers’

A photo of the horizon with ocean.

FILE - This May 23, 2011 photo released by NASA shows the International Space Station at an altitude of approximately 220 miles above the Earth, taken by Expedition 27 crew member Paolo Nespoli from the Soyuz TMA-20 following its undocking. The International Space Station may provide the setting for a 500-day pretend trip to Mars in another few years. NASA said Tuesday, March 20, 2012 that consideration is under way to use the space station as a dry run for a simulated trip to and from Mars. (AP Photo/NASA, Paolo Nespoli)

Earth is round, not flat. File photo: Nasa

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Mike Hughes gained fame in 2002 when he jumped a stretch limousine 31 metres at a speedway
The daredevil endeavoured to fly to the edge of outer space to see if the world was really flat



Video of incident, in which the rocket appears to fail shortly after take-off in the Mojave Desert, was posted to Twitter.


Space

‘Mad’ Mike Hughes believed Earth was flat. He was killed when his home-made rocket crashed in California desert

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Mike Hughes gained fame in 2002 when he jumped a stretch limousine 31 metres at a speedway The daredevil endeavoured to fly to the edge of outer space to see if the world was really flat

Mike Hughes gained fame in 2002 when he jumped a stretch limousine 31 metres at a speedway

The daredevil endeavoured to fly to the edge of outer space to see if the world was really flat