I didnt join them. Some prominent flat-earthers dont appear to have a regular job, so one must wonder how they make money. Mike, along with Waldo Strakes, built a homemade steam-powered rocket whose intention was to fly 5000 feet in the year. He lived in California. And we in the media enabled him. Mike Hughes started to gain the limelight after setting a Guinness world record holder for jumping 103-foot in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limo. Nobody could find the pylons for the guy wires supporting the launch rail. I would think if you were gonna do a TV show like that youd look at the engineering of the thing and at least give him some engineering advice.. Given the tragic turn of events, its doubtful that this series will go forward. All Rights reserved. But, of course, his biggest delusion was that there was widespread interest in his antics. It was late afternoon, and the guys were thrashing to get Mike into the rocket before the last of the light faded. Hughes and Stakes were one of three teams that working to get as close to space, or the Karman line, the invisible line which is 62 miles (99.78 km) above Earths surface that is often thought of as the beginning of space., Hughes was known for attempting to blast off in a rocket that was made using mostly spare parts and during a launch in March 2018, he needed to deploy his parachute after making it a half-mile into the sky. The mayor/owner of Amboy, along with two of the three full-time residents. He authored the cartoon book, Whoops Airlines. People ask me why I do stuff like this, he said. But, he had white and black hair color and black eye color. Mad Mike died at the age of 64. Dust and sand fill the air as the rocket launches into the sky, and as the ship veers sharply to one side, a yellow and purple parachute can be seen falling off the vessel and floating down to Earth, surrounded by smoke from the rockets steam-powered engine. Should the scientific community trust him? In the aftermath of Hughess death, many viewed it as the ultimate culmination of the dangers of pseudoscience, heavily criticizing the media, particularly the Science Channel, for giving oxygen to his views. Chute! The 64-year-old American daredevil and flat Earth cons That might be because no such category had existed until he contacted the record-keepers to ask if they would be interested. Nevertheless, Mike Hughess funeral hasnt been revealed yet. He flipped over before reaching a cushion of tires but was unhurt. To be sure, Mike was a conspiracy theorist par excellence. I knew Waldo and several other team members were unhappy with the design of the apparatus Mike had come up with to release the superheated water from the pressure vessel. Daredevil 'Mad' Mike Hughes has died after launching himself into the air on a homemade rocket that later crash landed, possibly due to a parachute malfunction. The Movie. Please follow the instructions we emailed you in order to finish subscribing. The day before the scheduled launch, I received a text from Waldo with a photo of the rocket already mounted on the launch rail. His mission was to launch his vesselto a height of 35,000-feet in an attempt to confirm his theory that the earth is flat. He stated that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved him to launch his rocket and he is awaiting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. He thought the lunar landing had been a hoax. The challenge, I suggested, wasnt shooting Mike into space. Although Mike was a fine fabricator and an excellent mechanic, he knew nothing about rocketry, and he was constantly running up against his technical limitations. Instead, I followed longtime crew member Larry Hayes, who was prowling around behind the launch rail. Mike Hughes was born in 1955. He died following his steam-powered rocket crash-landing an open desert in Barstow, California. [23], Following Hughes' death, Darren Shuster, his public relations representative, stated: "We used flat Earth as a PR stunt Flat Earth allowed us to get so much publicity that we kept going! Mike preparing for the August 2018 launch attempt. I love that ending, where he was able to be successful, Brusseau said. Water stored in a vessel is heated to reach a predetermined pressure. The ladder was placed there because Mike had used it to get inside the rocket, as he was opposed to the initial plan of beinglifted into it. He Jiankui discusses his plans for finding cures for devastating genetic diseases. On Saturday, February 22, Mike Hughes, aka Mad Mike Hughes, died in the crash of his homemade rocket. Mikes ground control crew radioed him to deploy one of the two backup parachutes installed on the rocket, but Mike never responded. Very likely did not survive. The rocket appeared to rub against the launch apparatus, which might have torn the parachutes attached to it, according to Justin. This was in Amboy. Four months later, after several launches were aborted, there was a successful flight (followed by another brutal landing that left Mike pissing into a bottle for three days because he couldnt make it to the bathroom). Get the HOTTEST Music, News & Videos Delivered Weekly. Hughes' third and final rocket launch, on February 22, 2020, ended in his death at the age of 64. A freelance journalist named Justin Chapman and his wife witnessed this crash. A risk that was too high. Why would people promote such a lie? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Deontay Wilder Biography, Age, Height, Fiancee, Net Worth, Zo Kravitz Biography, Age, Height, Husband, Net Worth, Charlie Heaton net worth Career and Personal Life, Joe Arpaio Net Worth Career and Personal Life, Wyatt Russell Net Worth Career and Personal Life, Eric Decker Net Worth, Career and Personal Life, Brandon Sheets Net Worth, Personal Life and More, Christy Martin Net Worth, Early Life and Career, Sanya Richards-Ross Net Worth, Career and Personal Life, Julius Peppers Net Worth, Career and Personal Life, Austin Trout Net Worth, Early Life, Physical Measures, Kyle Kuzma Biography, Age, Height, Spouse and Net Worth, Mavado, His Career, Net Worth and Personal Life, Christopher Martin, his Net Worth, Career, Personal Life, Arlo Guthrie Net Worth, Biography and More, Johnny Van Zant Net Worth, Biography, Lifestyle and More, Tommy James Net Worth, Biography, Age, Height and Spouse, Willie Falcon Net worth, Biography and Information, Jack Canfield Net Worth, Career, Biography and More, Dr. Michael Beckwith Net Worth, Biography and More, Isaac Mizrahi, Biography, Net Worth, Family, John Maxwell Net Worth, Biography, Bibliography and More, What was Mad Mike Hughes marital status? That is nonsense. I wont be able to get out of bed. Chute! That launch seemed to go flawlessly, as the parachute remained intact and slowed his descent. He had a lot of time to surf YouTube and he went down the YouTube rabbit hole and developed some weird beliefs., In 2018, Hughes successfully launched himself in a rocket nearly 1,900 feet in the air and landed in the Mojave Desert near Amboy, Calif., a feat captured on camera for Rocketman., When we were filming it, we were thinking to ourselves, Wow, this is dangerous, Brusseau said. Hughes' death was confirmed by Waldo Stakes, a longtime collaborator of the stunt man, and a representative of The Science Channel which is part of Discovery and had been following Hughes' rocket mission for their new show Homemade Astronauts. Mike was born in the Hughes family and possessed a white ethnical background. It is unknown to us exactly what he did to earn an income, but it was clearly earning something because he invested a lot into building his home made rockets trying to prove his false claims of flat earth. Despite my misgivings, I was intrigued. On Saturday, 64-year-old "Mad" Mike Hughes was killed when a rocket he was attached to crashed in the desert in San Bernardino County, California. On Saturday, 64-year-old Mad Mike Hughes was killed when a rocket he was attached to crashed in the desert in San Bernardino County, California. (@thisisrocketman). He announced at that meeting that he was negotiating a deal with a TV network to cover his launch attempts. The calculations to launch a payload into space, whether a satellite or a human being, have been well understood ever since 1944, when a Nazi V-2 designed by Wernher von Braun first left Earths atmosphere. The mood was upbeat and anticipatory, not unlike the crowd assembled for a rock music festival, but without the weed. He appeared in the 2019 documentary "Rocketman - Mad Mike's Mission to Prove the Flat-Earth". A steam rocket is a relatively straightforward device. I talked to a couple from Fountain Valley whose sons had met Waldo and Mike, and I hung for a bit with a pair of local firefighters whod seen something about the launch on social media. [9][2][10], According to the Associated Press, Hughes built his first crewed rocket on January 30, 2014, and flew 1,374 feet (419m) in just over one minute over Winkelman, Arizona. World of Wonder Productionsthe television company behind RuPauls Drag Raceevidently reached a similar conclusion and signed Mike and Waldo to a Science Channel reality show tentatively titled Homemade Astronauts. Daredevil Flat Earther 'Mad Mike' Hughes Dies When Self-Made Rocket Crashes We usually watch his matches on our DVR, long after theyve been played. On Saturday, February 22, Mike Hughes, aka "Mad" Mike Hughes, died in the crash of his homemade rocket. After five seconds, the plume disappeared as the last of the steam escaped through the nozzle. I remember speaking up only once. When he paused, a woman asked in a small, breathless voice: Is he OK? No, Waldo said flatly. He seriously injured his back when a mountain of car tires intended to cushion his landing separated, and he crashed into a wall. His mission was to launch his vessel to a height of 35,000-feet in . Assorted flat-Earthers and conspiracy theorists. Despite the coverage Hughes efforts attracted, he was a highly divisive figure within the Flat Earth community. Period.) And in this sense, he was successful: though he says there were some background conversations within the community regarding the question of whether Hughes could crash, all in all Sargent considered the campaign the best $8,000 we ever spent, due to the enormous amount of media attention it garnered for the Flat Earth cause. Video posted online shows the exact moment Mad Mike Hughes homemade rocket came crashing down to Earth after a failed launch attempt, killing the self-styled daredevil. [29][30], Daredevil Mad Mike Hughes Death, Rocket Crash, reach above the atmosphere into outer space, List of inventors killed by their own inventions, "Self-Taught Rocket Scientist Mad Mike Hughes Plans to Launch Over Ghost Town", "Daredevil dies after homemade rocket crashes in desert while filming TV show", "Death of rocket man 'Mad Mike' Hughes ends years of close calls", "A flat-Earther's plan to launch himself in a homemade rocket has been postponed again", "Flat-Earther's steam-powered rocket lofts him 1,875 feet up into Mojave Desert sky", "Flat-Earther 'Mad' Mike Hughes forced to delay launch of homemade rocket", "A flat-Earther's plan to launch himself in a homemade rocket just hit a speed bump", "Self-taught rocket scientist 'Mad' Mike Hughes blasts off into California sky", "Self-taught rocket scientist eyes new launch date in Calif", "Analysis | A flat-earther finally tried to fly away. For shame on you all. And yet, as I stood among the sagebrush outside Barstow, gazing at the progress of a tiny white speck against the blue sky, I found myself chanting commands to someone who I knew couldnt hear me. Hughes' death permanently affected the players on the field that day. To minimize costs, Waldo had already rigged up a cockpit out of the wingtip tank from a Cold Warera Lockheed F-94 Starfighter, with air provided by a breathing bottle from a similar vintage Boeing B-50 Superfortress bomber. For me, the Research Flat Earth livery on the rocket was tangible proof that the project was nothing more than a circus sideshow, and I was relieved that Id stayed away. However, he holds the American nationality and white ethnical background. He was closely associated with the Flat Earth movement, hosting a show on the internet radio station Flat Earth Radio and raising thousands of dollars on GoFundMe in Flat Earth-assisted crowdfunding campaigns. In the end, he was too brave and tenacious for his own good. Even an itinerant desert rat and amateur snake expert who answered to the name King Daddy Master. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mike Hughes' family and friends during this difficult time. Daredevil and Amateur rocket-engineer, Mike Hughes died aged 64 on the 22nd of February 2020. There is a duty of care issue. Mike Huges died on 22 February 2020. His launch was reportedly filmed as part of Homemade Astronauts, a new TV series about amateur rocket makers. accident on rt 15 dillsburg, pa today; leonardo de lozanne estatura; affects relatively small area in width and distance; i spit on your grave (2010) full movie 123movies I felt the hollow ache of nervous anticipation as Mike strapped on his helmet and climbed the stairs to the cockpit. When I raised this on a flat-earth discussion group after Hughes death, one flat-earther objected strenuously. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Finally, Waldo and several of Mikes friends began walking toward the wreckage. Because Mike never reached the point of climbing into the rocket, I never had to confront the disturbing possibility that he might blow himself up or be pulverized in a crash landing. A self-taught engineer, Hughes was also a staunch flat-earther. His post-flat-Earth fundraising campaign made its $7,875 goal. He reached a height of 1,875 feet. Videos of the launch show that his parachute opened and detached from the rocket almost instantly, dooming Hughes to a high-velocity impact on the desert floor shortly after that. The idea was to carry Mike roughly 20 miles aloft in a gargantuan helium balloon before igniting the rocketa Cold War-era launch system known as a rockoon. It was always his dream to do this launch & Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey". We all understood that the chances of success were minimal. Even if a company unknowingly manufactures faulty products that result in grave injury or death, they hold some responsibility. On February 22,Daredevil Mad Mike Hughes perishedwhen his steam-engined rocket crashed in the Barstow, California desert. The tragic difference here is that he was duped into a ridiculous and unnecessary proof of something that is already beyond requiring any further evidence. The risks seemed negligible. That belief has circulated among flat-earthers since his appearance at the 2018 FEIC. Hughes 2002 feat in Perris, California still holds the world record for longest limousine ramp jump, according to the Guinness World Records website. I also wondered if Hughes was serious about the earth being flat; assuming he was, I thought about the implications of his death when it came. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. His rocket flew 1,374 feet over Winkelman, Arizona in just over one minute. "Mad Mike" Hughes died on February 22 when the parachutes on his homemade steam rocket failed to deploy and he augured into the sagebrush near Barstow, California, like a giant lawn dart . But the crews lack of urgency told a different story. That network was the Science Channel, and their cameras were at the fatal launch to record part of a series Homemade Astronauts, in which Hughes would star. Back at El Ranchito Rakete, there were arguments over Mikes redesign of the launch system. Disoriented, Mike released the compressed-air-powered parachutes while he was still traveling too fast. In 2002, he had already set a Guinness Word Record as he jumped about 103 foot in at Lincon Car stretch Limo. Advertisers pay money to owners of websites that generate enough views to justify the expense. In 1974, he turned pro, and in 1979, he became the top Ice Speedway motorcycle racer in the U.S., the biography says. Then, he planned to launch the rocket on the 10th of August 2019, which was postponed. Need to estimate, from trillions of miles away, how likely another world is to host life? He had said he intended to make multiple rocket journeys, culminating in a flight to outer space, where he believed he would be able to take a picture of the entire Earth as a flat disc. While that landing was hard, Hughes said that he received no serious injuries. He built his first manned rocket in 2014 a contraption he called the X-2 SkyLimo and managed to launch himself more than 1,300 feet over Winkelman, Ariz., he told the Associated Press. Mad Mike Hughes working on his steam-powered rocket before a test launch in Amboy, California, in August 2019. He self-made rockets, which he planned to fly into the outer space to prove flat-Earth conspiracy theories. The Created Cosmos and The Expanse of Heaven, there is evidence that Hughes claimed to be a flat-earther as a publicity stunt. Later analysis of the wreckage would show that the launch apparatus Mike had put together caused the left side of the nozzle to rip free from the rocket when the water was released. I passed by the display of his rocket several times, hoping to speak to him, but he was always busy talking to other people, so I never got the chance. But that project, while far-fetched, had some legitimate merits, whereas this was purely a PR stunt. [1][2] He died on February 22, 2020, while filming a stunt for an upcoming Science Channel television series. [1][11] After professing his belief in a flat Earth later that year, Hughes gained support within the flat-Earth community. But because I was there, ostensibly covering the event as news even though I knewlike nearly everybody else watching the launchthat it was a pointlessly stupid stunt. He had previously scheduled his launch for 25 November 2017. Effectively, he was duped by FET (theory and theorists) into recklessly risking his life. Hughes famously launched himself nearly 1,900 feet upward in a homemade steam-powered rocket early in 2018. [15], A successful launch on March 24, 2018, resulted in his reaching a height of 1,875 feet (572m) and a hard landing in the Mojave Desert. Mikes rep,Darren Shuster, toldTMZthat, upon launching, Mikesparachute got snagged by a ladder next to the rock. The canopies shredded. Your newsletter signup did not work out. "Mad" Mike Hughes, 64, crash-landed his steam-powered rocket shortly after. What happened during 9/11. He further added that rockets are mostly self built through trial and error and you dont get a lot of second chances, though, in the rocket business. Once hed wriggled inside, Waldo secured the door behind him. It was always his dream to do this launch, and Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey.. Ive watched plenty of amateur high-power rocket launches over the years, and I know that they come off the rail fast, not with the deliberate majesty of a Saturn V straining against the bounds of gravity. Hughes famously launched himself nearly 1,900 feet upward in a homemade steam-powered rocket early in 2018. WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. As he knew how to keep his professional and personal life maintained. Very likely did not survive. Robbie Kneivel, who spent his life in the family business of defying death, passed away on Friday after a fight with pancreatic cancer By Laurenz Busch - January 13, 2023 Robbie Knievel, who. The US is more alert to the risks of strep infections, but the UK has better data. Hughes was a member of the Flat Earth community, a subculture consisting of people who (despite all scientific evidence pointing squarely to the contrary) believe that the Earth is not round, but flat. (Apparently, theyd been stolen by local meth heads.). Hughes had no close relatives and lived alone in Apple Valley with his four cats, Brusseau and Linn said. The hard-working crew (left to right) Waldo Stakes, Steve Talbert (security), Mad Mike, Mike Hawkins (longtime friend of Mikes), Albert Okura (the mayor/owner of Amboy), Danny Bern (stalwart crew member) and Bill Inman (builder of his own steam-engine rockets). Mikes limousine parked at El Ranchito Rakete, Waldo Stakes property in Apple Valley, California. At the time of his passing, Hughes was surrounded by 50 to 60 people watching his attempted rocket launch, including crew members for an upcoming Science Channel series calledHomemade Astronauts. But Mike wanted to fly higher, faster, farther. When the superheated water is released, it passes through a nozzle at the base of the fuselage and turns to steam, producing the thrust necessary to launch the rocket. 2023 Cond Nast. A trial using the gene-editing tool inside the body hints at treating, or even curing, a rare fatal diseaseand is changing a community in the process. While these august publications didnt make the point explicitly, the implication was clear: Here was another madman who got what he deserved. His launch was reportedly filmed as part of Homemade Astronauts, a new TV series about amateur rocket makers. The reaction of the flat-earth community has been varied. "There were a couple of live streamers, like . His journey was to be featured on Homemade Astronauts, a series on the Science Channel. But it occurred to me that if Hughes were to die in a launch, those promoting the flat-earth movement would have at least some blood on their hands. Chute! Mike Hudges was an American limo driver and daredevil. Mike even stated that he was in a walker for two weeks from the injuries. He was widely famous due to his self made rocket engineer and limo stuntman and also for his thoughts regarding Flat Earth theory. I helped to kill him. The duo Mike and Waldo Stakes was working on the self built steam powered rocket to reach at 5000 feet approx 1.5 km in the air while riding in it. Now theres a breakthrough. The next year, he tried for a new record of 125 feet, covering his body in bubble wrap and gunning his 3-ton white Cadillac limousine up a ramp at 65 mph at the Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino. Also, after a visual inspection, other members of the crew were convinced that the rocket was going to clip the frame of the launch rig on the way up. On February 22, Daredevil "Mad Mike" Hughes perished when his steam-engined rocket crashed in the Barstow, California desert. In the days leading up to the fatal crash, Discovery.com posted a video of Hughes showing off the rocket in his front yard. A now-viral video shared on Twitter by journalist Justin Chapmanshowed the daredevils fatal mishap, but the details of what exactly went wrong were obscure until now. Michael Hughes, popularly known as "Mad" Mike Hughes, was an American limousine driver, professed flat-Earther, and daredevil known for flying in self-built steam rockets. Waldo intended to use a hydrogen peroxide rocket to allow Mike to breach the so-called Karman line, 62 miles above Earths surface. We couldnt see clearly how it had landed. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. He was a lonely guy, Linn said. Hughes' team reported a maximum speed of 350mph (560km/h).

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