Its not clear what went wrong. Likewise Mike Hughes' tragic death. I had no attachment to him or his rocket launches. Death of rocket man 'Mad Mike' Hughes ends years of close calls "Mad Mike" Hughes died Saturday at age 64. Periodically, Waldo would call me with updates. Still, other flat-earthers believe that Hughes never thought the earth is flat but merely used the flat-earth movement to gain fame and financial backing. If those people promoting a flat earth for profit and dont believe the earth is flat had any decency, I would hope the death of Mike Hughes would cause them to stop. Mike Huges died on 22 February 2020. Sometimes, I feel like the cartoon character Wile E. Coyote, when he suddenly runs off a cliff, Hughes told The Times ahead of the jump. For a sickening moment, I thought it might angle disastrously sideways, like a ballistic missile. 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. On February 22,Daredevil Mad Mike Hughes perishedwhen his steam-engined rocket crashed in the Barstow, California desert. He later raised $7,875 in a flat-Earth fundraising campaign. Im sure that many other flat-earthers will continue to revere Hughes as one of their own as they mourn his death. Heres What Hes Doing Next. He was 64. Freelance journalist Justin Chapman is writing a book about Hughes, and was at the final launch in the desert outside Barstow, Calif. "There were about 50 spectators there," Chapman said. But we also knew that the boldness of the project, the eccentricities of the central characters, and the challenges of hacking together a homebuilt spacecraft on a shoestring budget would make for a compelling read. He collapsed after the landing. (single, married, in relation or divorce). But none of us are getting out of this world alive. Mike is also known for Amateur manned rocketry Flat-Earther. Its not clear if he was successful. A bolt was missing. CHUTE! His mission was to launch his vesselto a height of 35,000-feet in an attempt to confirm his theory that the earth is flat. A freelance journalist named Justin Chapman and his wife witnessed this crash. Rare Fugazi Live Footage Stitched Into New Movie to Screen One Night Only in Washington D.C. A$AP Rocky Wonders How to Break Violent Cycles in Hip-Hop on Tribute Single Same Problems', Adi Oasis Channels High Fashion and Euphoria in Video for Ovulation Anthem Multiply. After years of close calls, the 64-year-old Hughes met his end Saturday when he was killed during the launch of a homemade rocket gone awry outside Barstow. "[5] A fundraising campaign to cover the costs of the delay raised around $100 of its $10,000 goal. Then we waited anxiously for Mike to deploy the parachutes. Now theres a breakthrough. Times staff writer David Zahniser contributed to this story. 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 According to the BLM, after seeing some news articles about the planned launch, a BLM representative reached out to Hughes with concerns. 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. Id met Mike before, but this was my first extended conversation with him. Information about his parents and siblings will be updated soon. When Waldo scampered clear, I repositioned myself behind an EMS van for protection. 2018 poll found that two percent of more than 10,000 respondents, watched the rocket launch on a livestream, Brian Walshe to Be Charged with Murder of His Missing Wife, Ron Jeremy Found Not Competent to Stand Trial in Serial Rape Case, The Genetic Mutation That Makes Kraken Covid So Contagious, The Boy Just Aint Smart': How Stephen A. Smith Overcame a Learning Disability to Become the Most Passionate Voice in Sports, Andrew Callaghan Apologizes: I've Always Taken No for an Answer as Far as Consent, Fall Out Boy Announce First Album in 5 Years, Share Love From The Other Side Video. He was treated for heat exhaustion. I knew that the previous three launches had only barely avoided catastrophe. But that project, while far-fetched, had some legitimate merits, whereas this was purely a PR stunt. Mad Mike Hughes just launched himself in a self-made steam-powered rocket and crash landed. He seemed to be speaking to himself as much as me. The homebrew rocket maker had dreams of fame and fortune. He was likable, funny, and surprisingly boyish for somebody who was nearly 64. His mission was to launch his vessel to a height of 35,000-feet in . Even Sargent, a member of a community that raised money to support Hughes daredevil efforts, questioned the decision to make the documentary. And when it comes down to it, he deserves kudos for that.. Waldo speculates that the violence of the shift knocked Mike unconscious. Nobody could find the pylons for the guy wires supporting the launch rail. I think that Samuel Rowbotham, who launched the flat-earth movement in the 19th century, fell into this category. Mike's steam rocket on the launch rail in August 2019. Neither reactions, however, were present within the Flat Earth community itself. Chapmans unfortunate footage captures the first parachute disconnecting shortlyafter the rocket began its ascent and then freefalling. Daredevil and Amateur rocket-engineer, Mike Hughes died aged 64 on the 22nd of February 2020. Your email address will not be published. I was fascinated by his plan to repurpose space-age-era NASA and military-surplus components to bring the land speed record back to the US from the UK. There was no official anything. He had previously scheduled his launch for 25 November 2017. In Vegas, Hughes became both limousine chauffeur and daredevil; he took to referring to himself as the worlds most famous limo driver.. Please follow the instructions we emailed you in order to finish subscribing. The video, posted to Twitter by Justin Chapman, a freelance journalist who witnessed and recorded the fatal crash, begins by showing the self-made rocket seconds before it takes off from a guide rail attached to a large white truck in Barstow, California. Alaskas Arctic Waterways Are Turning a Foreboding Orange. But, he had gushed about his birthday publically. Others were more somber, stating that his passing was proof of the dangers of believing wholeheartedly in dangerous anti-scientific beliefs. Released in August 2019, this 94-minute documentary, co-directed by Toby Brusseau and Michael Linn, starred Mike Hughes, Waldo Sykes, Patrick Marchese. He authored the cartoon book, Whoops Airlines. "[13], The untested initial rocket was intended to reach a speed of 500mph (800km/h); further rocket trips, which were to be launched from a balloon 20 miles (32km) up,[14] were intended to reach above the atmosphere into outer space. Originally from Oklahoma City, Hughes started attending car races with his father at 2 months old and began racing motorcycles at the age of 12, according to an author biography for his 2007 self-published book, What Does A Limo Driver Know About NASCAR.. He is known for other names like Mad Mike Hughes and Daredevil. "Storm Chasers" stars Matt Hughes has died at the age of 30 after committing suicide. A crew member was hurt so badly that part of his leg was later amputated. Its easy to ridicule the Mike Hugheses of the world, have-nothings who gamble their lives on a lottery offering only a microscopic chance of success. 'Mad' Mike Hughes' fatal rocket crash caught on video By Daniel Cassady February 23, 2020 4:05pm Updated Video posted online shows the exact moment "Mad" Mike Hughes' homemade rocket came. 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. On February 3, 2018, Hughes live-streamed another attempted launch, but the rocket steam release malfunctioned and the launch was aborted. I know he didnt believe in flat Earth and it was a schtick. [18], On February 22, 2020, Hughes died near Barstow, California, following the crash of a rocket he was piloting, built by Hughes and his collaborator Waldo Stakes. Hughes spent his childhood in Oklahoma City. Some undoubtedly do it for pleasure. [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! According to PubMed.com, to visuall see the Earths curvature one must travel to an altitude of around 35,000 feet. He was quite the celebrity among that flat-earthers at that meeting. 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. Hughes, 64, had been a. Death. That launch seemed to go flawlessly, as the parachute remained intact and slowed his descent. In November 2017, Mike claimed to give verbal permission from the Bureau of Land Management, which was approved, whereas the Federal Aviation Administration kept is pending approval. The camera quickly pans down to the drifting parachute and then back up to the rocket and follows the doomed craft until it crashes into the California desert while spectators who were watching the event scream. The National Library of Medicine describes Hughes' cause of death as a "rare congenital abnormality" that represents less than 3% of coronary anomalies. But the more Waldo talked, the more credible the project sounded. 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 plummeting at more than 300 miles per hour. 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? Then, on the 30th of January 2014, he was known for making the first manned rocket, which flew 1,374 feet within over one minute over Winkelman, Arizona. Editors picks After five seconds, the plume disappeared as the last of the steam escaped through the nozzle. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 2023 Cond Nast. This, it turned out, was Mike Hughes, who billed himself as the worlds most famous limo driver by virtue of having set a world record for the longest jump in a Lincoln Town Car with the flying qualities of a cinderblock. I wont be able to get out of bed. Mike Hughes and his rocket at the 2018 Flat Earth International Conference I attended in Denver. I figured that would be the end of it. Video of the tragic accident, which took place in Barstow, California, was captured by reporter Justin Chapman. Filming fo the Science Channel series, Homemade Astronauts, with the help of his partner Waldo Sykes, Hughess goal was to reach 5,000 feet in the air while riding his steam-powered rocket, according to Space.com. [1] He said in November 2017 that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had given him verbal permission more than a year prior to launch his rocket, pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. I took Mike aside and told him, Dont get in that rocket unless you feel comfortable. As it happened, the rocket wasnt ready to fly in time. Mike preparing for the August 2018 launch attempt. 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. If hed succeeded, the flight would have been a scene in my story and a segment in the reality-TV show. Well, of course he got killed. That is nonsense. [4] The canopies shredded. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. He died following his steam-powered rocket crash-landing an open desert in Barstow, California. When the rocket cleared the rail, it shifted to the right, as if it had been hip-checked by an rogue air current. 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. Then somebody muttered, You dont survive that., Although paramedics hustled to the crash, there was no official announcement. Science Channel wrote, "Michael 'Mad Mike' Hughes tragically passed away today during an attempt to launch his homemade rocket. Hughes acknowledged there were risks, telling the Associated Press: "It's scary as hell. [19][20] During launch, the rocket's parachute, which was designed for landing, appeared to deploy early and detach from the craft. Ive heard that some make six figures promoting a flat earth. Information about his personal life is not available. He built his first crewed rocket in January 2014. Should the scientific community trust him? 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. Waldo Stakes at the August 2019 launch in Amboy, California. Also, their homemade rocket was for a Science Channel series, Homemade Astronauts. His birth name was Michael Hughes. 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. [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. For more than 250 years, mathematicians have wondered if the Euler equations might sometimes fail to describe a fluids flow. Ive got balls, and I will roll the dice.. Hughes was always planning his next stunt, with each one taking him higher than the last. The Science Channel show, Homemade Astronauts, documented three self-financed teams as they attempt to get a rocket into space on a shoestring budget. The rocket launched at a sharp angle to avoid falling back to Earth on public land. There has never been another death on the field. Without an audience, he was just a lone lunatic shouting incoherently in a barren desert. On Saturday, February 22, Mike Hughes, aka Mad Mike Hughes, died in the crash of his homemade rocket. A handful of newcomers had shown up. I met Mike through Waldo Stakes. The phenomenon threatens local drinking water, and scientists think climate change may be the culprit. But if it had been, Mike would have ignored my advice. [11][12] There was no video of Hughes entering the rocket and there were doubts that he was in it when it launched. A self-taught engineer tinged with genius, Waldo had designed motorcycles that set speed records at Utahs Bonneville Salt Flats. Chute. The reaction of the flat-earth community has been varied. He seriously injured his back when a mountain of car tires intended to cushion his landing separated, and he crashed into a wall. It was always his dream to do this launch, and Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey. He was an American limo driver and daredevil who gained the limelight for flying in self-built rockets. Rain was in the forecast, but the morning dawned sunny and brisk. The rocket flew sideways instead of straight up. Famously known as "Mad" Mike Hughes, the daredevil rocket-maker died while attempting to blast himself into the sky on February 22, 2020, according to TMZ. The launch was initially scheduled for last August but was moved several times due to technical difficulties. Then, he planned to launch the rocket on the 10th of August 2019, which was postponed. Daredevil and Amateur rocket-engineer, Mike Hughes died aged 64 on the 22nd of February 2020. Coronavirus Is Spreading And So Are the Hoaxes and Conspiracy Theories Around It. With 90 gallons of water in the tank, the goal was to reach an altitude of one mile. He raised thousands of dollars onGoFundMe to finance the construction of his rockets. Grinning fiercely, Waldo told me, Im going to send this guy into space, and people are going to go, Two fucking hillbillies living in Apple Valley built a spaceship, promoted it themselves, hooked it to a balloon, and launched him into space.. It was late afternoon, and the guys were thrashing to get Mike into the rocket before the last of the light faded. 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. 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