Terms of Service apply. Indeed, there is evidence that Hughes claimed to be a flat-earther as a publicity stunt. No, I didnt kill Mike, but I was part of the ecosystem that exploited him, and thats on me. On February 3, 2018, Hughes live-streamed another attempted launch, but the rocket steam release malfunctioned and the launch was aborted. I think he honestly meant it. You're almost done! And what was the point? Mike, along with Waldo Strakes, built a homemade steam-powered rocket whose intention was to fly 5000 feet in the year. Just a slender projectile hurtling silently to the ground. However, he hadnt shared any further information regarding his marriage and who is his wife. 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. Homepage / Uncategorized / mike hughes cause of death; mike hughes cause of death. It. There was part of me that wished he would find a hobby that was fun for him but had less of a chance of dying, maybe training his cats or something, but that wouldnt have done it for him.. Regardless of what happened, he still built a rocket and he launched a rocket. I love that ending, where he was able to be successful, Brusseau said. Fifty-fifty! In contrast with a sober NASA launch vehicle, it sported a jaunty purple, orange, and white paint job and signage from sponsors, including a chain of Mexican chicken restaurants, an online dating app (Dating isnt rocket science), and companies offering crane, welding, and window-tinting services. A former stuntman, Hughes had done two rocket launches prior to his death, one in 2014 and one in 2018, from which he emerged without major incident. The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking, new connections, and new industries. Mad Mike Hughes just launched himself in a self-made steam-powered rocket and crash landed. I didnt see it. "[24][4][25][26], Hughes appeared in the music video for the Death Valley Girls' song "One Less Thing (Before I Die)". The documentary has a happy ending, one that the filmmakers wish translated to real life. You had to shout to be heard over the low-pitched thrum of the generator heating water in the boiler. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. However, a BLM spokesman said its local field office had no record of speaking to Hughes at the time. During his failed rocket launch in March 2018, the $20K rocket was named Research Flat Earth, and was crowdfunded by a group of the same name. Who makes jury-rig fixes at the eleventh hour when somebodys life is on the line? A handful of newcomers had shown up. After Mikes death, Science Channel mourn with condolence by saying, Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mike Hughes family and friends during this difficult time. 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. And when it comes down to it, he deserves kudos for that.. So it was possible to indulge in some magical thinking and imagine that maybe, against all odds, Mike might be able to emerge from the cockpit reasonably unscathed. There have been other terrible injuries. His rocket flew 1,374 feet over Winkelman, Arizona in just over one minute. Help us share the truth of Gods Word and the gospel! This was in Amboy. 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. Once hed wriggled inside, Waldo secured the door behind him. He thought the lunar landing had been a hoax. The Crispr Baby Scientist Is Back. If a manufacturer of cars or any other product knowingly makes things that are defective that ultimately results in severe injury or death, then they are culpable. I could run for president. But the crews lack of urgency told a different story. So the carnival headed back to Amboy last summer. When he paused, a woman asked in a small, breathless voice: Is he OK? No, Waldo said flatly. It was horrible, he says. I think that Samuel Rowbotham, who launched the flat-earth movement in the 19th century, fell into this category. Michael passed away of cause of death on month day 2008, at age 75 at death place, Florida. [16] The steam-powered rocket launched at a sharp angle to avoid falling back to Earth on public land, and landed about 1,500 feet (460m) away from the launch point. 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. I headed to Barstow first thing Saturday morning feeling a sense of dread. As freelance journalist Justin Chapman told NPR, the goal of such expeditions was not so much to prove that the earth was flat, as it was to bring attention to the Flat Earth cause. (A representative for Hughes also confirmed this in a statement to BuzzFeed, saying he did not actually believe in the theory and that we used flat Earth as a PR stunt. I listened skeptically as Waldo sketched out the scenario in the wood-paneled living room of Mikes small, dark, sparsely furnished house, while four cats slinked shamelessly over the sofa and coffee table. Email me with new blog posts by Danny Faulkner Blog: This site is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google
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. It is believed to be a point between outer space and earths atmosphere or in simple words, beginning of the space. Daredevil and Amateur rocket-engineer, Mike Hughes died aged 64 on the 22nd of February 2020. He was treated for heat exhaustion. Because it was people like me who imbued his quest with some larger meaning. For more than 250 years, mathematicians have wondered if the Euler equations might sometimes fail to describe a fluids flow. That belief has circulated among flat-earthers since his appearance at the 2018 FEIC. Its not clear how strongly he held the conviction, or if he really believed it at all. He died while attempting to his homemade rocket in Amboy, California. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mike Hughes family and friends during this difficult time. Mad Mike Hughes died Saturday at age 64. Predictably, everything went wrong during the next attempt, when Mikes latest steam rocket ignited prematurely, before hed even climbed into the cockpit. According to PubMed.com, to visuall see the Earths curvature one must travel to an altitude of around 35,000 feet. In Vegas, Hughes became both limousine chauffeur and daredevil; he took to referring to himself as the worlds most famous limo driver.. "Mad" Mike Hughes, 64, crash-landed his steam-powered rocket shortly after. Michael passed away of cause of death on month day 1958, at age 5 at death place, Colorado. 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. His post-flat-Earth fundraising campaign made its $7,875 goal. To my surprise, this launch seemed to unfold in slow motion. [1][11] After professing his belief in a flat Earth later that year, Hughes gained support within the flat-Earth community. Larry and I found them about 20 yards away, a shredded tangle of green-and-purple nylon. 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). [10][21] A witness at the launch, freelance journalist Justin Chapman, said that the rocket appeared to rub against the launch apparatus and ladder, perhaps tearing the parachutes. 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. The reaction of the flat-earth community has been varied. Our thoughts & prayers go out to his family & friends during this difficult time. After three weekends of failure, Mike and Waldo put the project on hiatus. [4], In 2002, Hughes set a Guinness World Record with a 103-foot (31m) jump in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine. But, he had white and black hair color and black eye color. But its the price I pay for a life thats not boring.. I knew, and I was there just the same. As he knew how to keep his professional and personal life maintained. [11][12] There was no video of Hughes entering the rocket and there were doubts that he was in it when it launched. Waldo walked back from the crash, looking grim. While that landing was hard, Hughes said that he received no serious injuries. However, he holds the American nationality and white ethnical background. The series, produced by World of Wonder, was set to premiere some time in 2020. Given the tragic turn of events, its doubtful that this series will go forward. Nature had given Hughes the heart of a 60-year-old man. CHUTE! Id met Mike before, but this was my first extended conversation with him. Sure enough, I approached WIRED and got a green light. Success! The plan was to start heating the boiler shortly after dawn Saturday. So the project was more serious than two goofballs chasing an impossible dream, and from a technical standpoint, it seemed feasible, if not entirely plausible. I could run for governor and be a shoo-in. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time He was 64. Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Mike Huges died on 22 February 2020. The series was scheduled to air on the US Science Channel. Its over, stalwart team member Danny Bern added. The sun was unrelenting, with temperatures often exceeding 110 degrees. 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. [3] Although a public promoter of the flat Earth model, following his death his public relations representative said that Hughes had only used flat Earth as a PR stunt to acquire funding for his rockets. Mike's rocket on the truck bed used for transport. (@thisisrocketman). The 64-year-old American daredevil and flat Earth cons He authored the cartoon book, Whoops Airlines. Back at El Ranchito Rakete, there were arguments over Mikes redesign of the launch system. Hughes death just reinforced my mantra meaning, what are you willing to do if you believe in something so much? Mark Sargent, a self-described Flat Earth recruiter who was featured in the 2018 Netflix documentary Behind the Curve, tells Rolling Stone. Your email address will not be published. Not only that, his childrens identity remains confined. Advertisers pay money to owners of websites that generate enough views to justify the expense. Unprompted, Waldo offered a technical appraisal of what had gone wrong. Alaskas Arctic Waterways Are Turning a Foreboding Orange. And spreading pseudoscience., Those within the community itself, however (some of whom had watched the rocket launch on a livestream), appear unruffled, if not more confident in its mission than ever. I didnt care about the steam rocket per se, since it had nothing to do with the space project. At least I can go home and have dinner and see my cats tonight., A post shared by Rocketman. He had previously scheduled his launch for 25 November 2017. The Created Cosmos and The Expanse of Heaven, there is evidence that Hughes claimed to be a flat-earther as a publicity stunt. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our livesfrom culture to business, science to design. Mikes first launch, from a remote site near Winkelman, Arizona, in 2014, should have been his last. Like any daredevil, I think theyre driven by a sense of that need to do something incredible but also to risk their life, said Toby Brusseau, who directed Rocketman, a 2019 documentary about Hughes. This was partly out of a sense of self-preservation; at this point, the rocket was effectively a bomb. Fame and fortune? I met Mike through Waldo Stakes. I stayed away from the crew as the water pressure rose. Before his death, Mike had lived a married man. No chute. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. So instead of floating gently to the ground, he crash-landed after a wild 11-second flight. The rocket launched at a sharp angle to avoid falling back to Earth on public land. [11] Hughes moved his launch pad 4 miles (6km) so that he could take off and land on private property, but the BLM maintained he still needed to fill out permits. After five seconds, the plume disappeared as the last of the steam escaped through the nozzle. Nobody gave a shit about this stunt. Waldo Stakes at the August 2019 launch in Amboy, California. 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. After he shared his belief of a flat earth, he gained support from the Flat-Earth community. This story has been shared 100,258 times. The tension was growing, and so, it seemed to me, was the possibility of a last-minute mistake. On February 22, Daredevil "Mad Mike" Hughes perished when his steam-engined rocket crashed in the Barstow, California desert. I knew that sending Mike into space would be far more dangerous than launching the steam rocket. At least I enabled him. Turns out that a pair of auxiliary chutes had blown off the rocket as it left the launch rail. I spent four days over two weekends in Amboy. This time around, Mike had generated buzz by claiming that he believed the Earth was flat, and he raised money by spinning the flight as an experiment to prove it. But for me, at least, that would have freighted his death with more meaning than dying while freestyling into a crevasse or big-wave surfing. He was born in 1955 although there is no information about his exact net worth, date and birthplace is available on the internet but he lived in Barstow, California. In 2002, daredevil Mad Mike Hughes successfully jumped a Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine 103 feet at the Perris Auto Speedway in Riverside County. Waldo checked out the steam rocket Mike had built at a truck shop in Fontana. It was always his dream to do this launch, and Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey. He planned to launch himself in a rocket in August 2019. This earned him a speaking spot at the 2018 Flat Earth International Conference (FEIC) in Denver. The homebrew rocket maker had dreams of fame and fortune. It was weeks before he was able to walk without aid. In 2012, I wrote a story about the car he was building in an effort to break the sound barrier. The man who tried to prove the flat earth conspiracy, Mike Hughes, died while attempting his rocket test after it went the wrong turn. The direct cause of death was a coronary thrombosis, which caused a massive myocardial infarction that cut off the blood flow to his heart. Mike's flight suit hung alongside a render of the space vehicle he and Waldo were planning to build. People ask me why I do stuff like this, he said. 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. He set a Guinness world record in 2002 when he jumped 103 foot in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limo. Head coach Joe Schmidt and the entire Lions team attended Hughes' funeral in San Antonio. Ive heard that some make six figures promoting a flat earth. A steam rocket is a relatively straightforward device. A group of spectators gathered around him. 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. In 2017, Mike and Waldo trucked a new rocket deep into the Mojave Desert to a barren stretch of land near the tiny Route 66 outpost of Amboy. Although a public promoter of the flat Earth model, following his death his public relations representative said that Hughes had only used flat Earth as a PR stunt to acquire funding for his rockets. We all understood that the chances of success were minimal. Mike preparing for the August 2018 launch attempt. That did surprise me, he said. There has never been another death on the field. Over the years, hed worked as a motorcycle racer, race car fabricator, race car mechanic, NASCAR crew chief, and limousine driver. Despite the utter lack of evidence surrounding the Flat Earth theory and intense criticism from scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson, the Flat Earth theory has gained traction in recent years (one 2018 poll found that two percent of more than 10,000 respondents harbored such views), and has been promoted by such high-profile figures as Kyrie Irving and musician B.o.B. They didnt, naturally. They announced that Mike was dead on the spot after his rocket crashed in the open desert during their launch event. Information about his personal life is not available. All of them prominently featured Mikes harmlessly harebrained belief that the Earth was flat. 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. In 1974, he turned pro, and in 1979, he became the top Ice Speedway motorcycle racer in the U.S., the biography says. 2023 Cond Nast. Privacy Policy and
Mounted nearly 15 degrees from vertical on a launch rail that resembled an industrial-grade erector set, the rocket looked like the kind of thing you might have doodled during an especially tedious junior-high earth science classa slender fuselage bracketed by a needle-shaped nose and four fins at the base. Before her death, she got married to Franklin Delano Floyd, which made him put Michael in foster care. He collapsed after the landing. It was always his dream to do this launch, and Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey, the TV network said in a statement. Chute. 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. A rival steam-engine builder. He died following his rocket crash-landing in the open desert in California on 22 February 2020. 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 However, his landing led him three days to recover. Hughes 2002 feat in Perris, California still holds the world record for longest limousine ramp jump, according to the Guinness World Records website. On Saturday, he was working on to launch a self made rocket for a new science series called Homemade Astronauts and he was going to be featured on TV show on Discoverys Science Channel. 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. Nobody could find the pylons for the guy wires supporting the launch rail. A launch date was set for late February. He was quite the celebrity among that flat-earthers at that meeting. Hughes was always planning his next stunt, with each one taking him higher than the last. The UK Is Enduring an Onslaught of Scarlet Fever. 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. Despite my misgivings, I was intrigued. It was getting him back alive. Science Channel wrote, "Michael 'Mad Mike' Hughes tragically passed away today during an attempt to launch his homemade rocket. Death. When the rocket cleared the rail, it shifted to the right, as if it had been hip-checked by an rogue air current. Effectively, he was duped by FET (theory and theorists) into recklessly risking his life. 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? It was late afternoon, and the guys were thrashing to get Mike into the rocket before the last of the light faded. Mike wanted to build the rocket himself, he said. Is the US Next? But the more Waldo talked, the more credible the project sounded. 'Mad' Mike Hughes was killed in a rocket crash in the desert in California. 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. Then we waited anxiously for Mike to deploy the parachutes. Rain was in the forecast, but the morning dawned sunny and brisk. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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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. Hughes defiantly stated that the dispute would not stop him from flying: "I'm a daredevil. He appeared in the 2019 documentary "Rocketman - Mad Mike's Mission to Prove the Flat-Earth". Should the scientific community trust him? 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. Were going to have to bury him, Waldo said. Similarly, those who promote the flat-earth movement (primarily on the internet), particularly such stunts, bear some responsibility for Hughes death. Even that was supposed to be merely the lead up to what Hughes spoke of as the ultimate launch, one that would take him 62 miles up, to a designation known as the Karman Line, which marks the border between Earths atmosphere and space. Heres what happens on the longest night of the yearin the solar system and across different cultures here on Earth. The rocket flew for 22 seconds after the last of the steam dissipated, but Mike never responded to radio communications. But, on the 24th of March 2018, he was successful in reaching the height of 1,875 feet and had a hard landing in the Mojave desert. I asked them if they had any idea how off-the-charts dangerous this was? Instead of Amboy, it would take place in a less remote spotwith cell phone service, hallelujah!eight miles south of Barstow. But I didnt say anything, just as Id never said anything about the lack of an automatic parachute-deployment system, which seemed like a no-brainer. A self-taught engineer tinged with genius, Waldo had designed motorcycles that set speed records at Utahs Bonneville Salt Flats. Video of the tragic accident, which took place in Barstow, California, was captured by reporter Justin Chapman. The column detailed a 1999 attempt by Hughes to build a car from leftover pieces and use it to qualify for NASCARs Winston Cup Series. But as it gathered speed, the rocket transitioned to vertical, flying straight up on a white plume. His journey was to be featured on Homemade Astronauts, a series on the Science Channel. Thanks for coming all the way out here. Hughes' team reported a maximum speed of 350mph (560km/h). 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. 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. We've received your submission. For shame on you all. He shared a video on Twitter and said Mad Mike Hughes just launched himself in a self-made steam-powered rocket and crash landed. This story has been shared 114,809 times. [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. A bolt was missing. The Movie. Editors picks The National Library of Medicine describes Hughes' cause of death as a "rare congenital abnormality" that represents less than 3% of coronary anomalies. Certainly Hughes was a daredevil who knew the risks of these rocket launches, and regardless of his incentives, tragically paid the ultimate price for his celebrity. Mad Mike died at the age of 64. Waldo heard that somebody was trying to reprise Knievels spectacularly unsuccessful 1974 jump across Snake River Canyon in a steam-powered rocket. Incredibly, the team was still dicking around with technical issues when I drove up. The project sounded insanely sketchy. And Ill always regret it. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mike Hughes family and friends during this difficult time, a spokeswoman for the network said in a statement. Before joining the newsroom in 2016, she was a general assignment reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com. Question what your congressman is doing, your city council. On September 28, 2002, he made into the Guinness Book of World Records after jumping 103 feet in a 6,500 ton Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine at Perris Auto Speedway. Water stored in a vessel is heated to reach a predetermined pressure. My girlfriend is a fanatical Roger Federer fan who dies a little every time he loses a point. 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.. Why would people promote such a lie? There were concerns about potentially boosting the profile of a flat-Eartheror gratuitously ridiculing onebut we agreed that deft writing and editing could skirt those issues. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, the launch of a homemade rocket gone awry, successfully launched himself in a rocket nearly 1,900 feet in the air, Im afraid for her life: Riverside CC womens coach harassed after Title IX suit, Want to solve climate change? He was likable, funny, and surprisingly boyish for somebody who was nearly 64. "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 . Thank you for signing up to receive email newsletters from Answers in Genesis. A generator wasnt making enough power. How to Save Your Smartphones Battery Life. On February 22,Daredevil Mad Mike Hughes perishedwhen his steam-engined rocket crashed in the Barstow, California desert. Not because I designed or built the rocket, and not because I belted him into the cockpit. Thats reasonable, Mike said. Internet Explorer is no longer supported. Daredevil "Mad Mike" Hughes died during an attempt to launch his homemade rocket Saturday. Then, he planned to launch the rocket on the 10th of August 2019, which was postponed. Hughes, 64, had been a. Question what really happened during the Civil War. Mikes limousine parked at El Ranchito Rakete, Waldo Stakes property in Apple Valley, California. Flat Earth-assisted crowdfunding campaigns. His publicist, Darren Shuster, said Saturday that the flat Earth thing was a PR stunt we dreamed up to get publicity and attract sponsors for the rockets that the self-taught engineer made in his garage at his home in Apple Valley, Calif. He was 64. We couldnt see clearly how it had landed. 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. I felt the hollow ache of nervous anticipation as Mike strapped on his helmet and climbed the stairs to the cockpit. He held an American nationality. Two armed but unopened parachutes were still attached to the rocket when it came down. We want to hear it. Some prominent flat-earthers dont appear to have a regular job, so one must wonder how they make money. That might be because no such category had existed until he contacted the record-keepers to ask if they would be interested. Far from prompting people to re-examine their own beliefs, if anything Hughes death cemented their commitment to chasing what they believe to be the truth at any cost. Cause of Death Homicide by Shotting Occupation Student Michael Hughes (March 21, 1988 - September 12, 1994) was American Boy Death When Michael was two years old, Suzanne was killed in a suspicious hit-and-run accident. Michael Hughes (February 9, 1956 February 22, 2020), popularly known as "Mad" Mike Hughes, was an American limousine driver, professed flat-Earther, and daredevil known for flying in self-built steam rockets. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. 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. And luckily it didnt turn out that way for us that day.. Hughes was officially pronounced dead at 5:34 p.m. An autopsy revealed that he had died of acute coronary thrombosis, brought on by premature hardening of the arteries. In the year 2016, Mike launched a program to make a rocket but failed by earning $310. Chapmans unfortunate footage captures the first parachute disconnecting shortlyafter the rocket began its ascent and then freefalling. You could argue that Mike knew what he was getting into, and hed signed the liability waivers to prove it. Insanethats what I was thinking. Chute! Need to estimate, from trillions of miles away, how likely another world is to host life? WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. He built his first crewed rocket in January 2014. It featured the homemade rocket engineers on . 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. Mikes ground control crew radioed him to deploy one of the two backup parachutes installed on the rocket, but Mike never responded. He desperately wanted to be rich and famous and realized that his most marketable asset was his willingness to risk his life, so he risked it often. The death of "Mad" Mike Hughes has brought attention to the danger of promoting pseudoscience but Flat Earthers stand by their "mission". I put my trust in Waldos assessment of Mike: Hes got a lucky star. Mike Hughes taking a break in August 2019 while prepping his rocket for a launch in the Mojave Desert. Thanks for contacting us. Daredevil and Amateur rocket-engineer, Mike Hughes died aged 64 on the 22nd of February 2020. Mike even stated that he was in a walker for two weeks from the injuries. Thats the way daredevils die.. I knew there were no backup systems. But for what? So Waldo invited Mike to live on property he owned on the southern edge of the Mojave in Apple ValleyWaldo had whimsically dubbed it El Ranchito Raketeand it was there that work commenced on a new-and-improved launch vehicle. Likewise Mike Hughes' tragic death. Not only that, he was a Guinness world record holder for jumping 103-foot in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limo. At the time of his death, he was under indictment for extortion, thanks to a scheme based on his theory that spelling a persons name entirely in capital letters entitled someone else to their entire estate (or something like that). Although some of the steam went through the nozzle, much of it escaped to the left, propelling the rocket to the right as it came off the launch rail. His birth name was Michael Hughes. It was always his dream to do this launch & Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey". He successfully launched his rocket on 24 March 2018. When I first heard of Hughes two years ago, I thought at the time that if he continued doing this, it would kill him. His mission was to launch his vessel to a height of 35,000-feet in . Well, of course he got killed. 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.. [19][20] During launch, the rocket's parachute, which was designed for landing, appeared to deploy early and detach from the craft. Mike Hughes was born in 1955. I remember speaking up only once. He recovered after 3 days and put him in a walker for two weeks. 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. 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. The more outlandish and provocative the content, the more interest, and hence more views. [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! He was born in the United States. Afterward, he reportedly collapsed and needed several days to recover. He must have realized that the launch was a fools play, pulling to an inside straight, but it was the only play he had. But the ballute alone would cost $300,000, and $2.8 million was budgeted for top-shelf engineering and meteorological support. The series was scheduled to air on the US Science Channel. Yet, even though were thousands of miles away, and even though most of the matches are several days old, she cant resist giving Federer advice in mid-point. Another blast is on the way. Hughes famously launched himself nearly 1,900 feet upward in a homemade steam-powered rocket early in 2018. Despite the coverage Hughes efforts attracted, he was a highly divisive figure within the Flat Earth community. Get the HOTTEST Music, News & Videos Delivered Weekly. All rights reserved. A smattering of reporters and photographers. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. I believe the truth is worth taking risks for.. Also, their homemade rocket was for a Science Channel series, Homemade Astronauts. But Mike wanted to fly higher, faster, farther. But who cared if somebody whod christened himself Mad Mike went 2,000 or 4,000 feet high in a homemade rocket that was just as likely to kill him as it was to get off the launch pad? Why the Search for Life in Space Starts With Ancient Earth. Hughes died in a rocket crash on February 22, 2020. Released in August 2019, this 94-minute documentary, co-directed by Toby Brusseau and Michael Linn, starred Mike Hughes, Waldo Sykes, Patrick Marchese. 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. Your newsletter signup did not work out. To raise money and awareness, they plan to first launch Hughes 5,000 feet high in a steam-powered rocket., Hughes told Forbes in 2018, People think Im rich and Im making all this money off these rocket launches. Without an audience, he was just a lone lunatic shouting incoherently in a barren desert. He raised thousands of dollars onGoFundMe to finance the construction of his rockets. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Office said, rocket crash off highway 247 in Barstow, California, on Saturday afternoon. The launch, which took place Saturday and was meant for a new Science Channel series called Homemade Astronauts, was supposed to have rocketed Hughes up to 5,000 feet in the air, the TV network said. She currently lives in Inglewood. Im sure that many other flat-earthers will continue to revere Hughes as one of their own as they mourn his death. He was known as Mad Mike Hughes. He was convinced that shadowy international cabals were running the world. Try downloading another browser like Chrome or Firefox. He postponed his launch due to mechanical troubles. Friends and family. On Saturday, February 22, Mike Hughes, aka Mad Mike Hughes, died in the crash of his homemade rocket. Hughes acknowledged there were risks, telling the Associated Press: "It's scary as hell. He launched a failed fundraising attempt for a rocket in 2016. Have you noticed the many advertisements that pop up when you are surfing the internet? You can also sign up for our free print newsletter (US only). Periodically, Waldo would call me with updates. Why didnt we turn away? Mike and Waldo were an odd couplea bantam rooster with a shock of gray-white hair and a solid redwood with tattooed biceps. The rocket came down about a mile away, near some hills to the north. And basically, its just to convince people they can do things extraordinary with their lives, and maybe it pushes people to do things they normally wouldnt do with their life that maybe will inspire someone else.. This was ideal for WoW, which needed some action to film. Hughes claimed to have achieved nearly 1,400 feet altitude in a similar craft in 2014, though there are some doubts about that flight. Hughes spent his childhood in Oklahoma City. 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. [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. 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. 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. [8], Hughes planned to again launch himself in a rocket on August 10, 2019,[17] but mechanical troubles postponed the launch. (Jessica Shuster) By Alex Wigglesworth Staff Writer Feb. 24, 2020 5 AM PT In. "[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. As of 2020, Mikes net worth was estimated at $500 thousand. Disoriented, Mike released the compressed-air-powered parachutes while he was still traveling too fast. It will be updated soon. With any luck, the water pressure in the boiler would reach 350 pounds per square inch by noon, and Mike would be able to fly immediately thereafter. I shouldn't have been there to witness it. According to CBC News, Hughes collapsed after the landing and it took him three days to recover. Im also concerned that impressionable people might see the attention that Hughes sought in life and is now getting and might be induced to try similar dangerous things. Over the next couple years, Hughes began saying in interviews that he believed the earth was flat Frisbee-shaped, and that he wanted to go up into space to make sure. He seemed to be speaking to himself as much as me. Mad Mike Hughes Cause of Death: As a part of a stunt, Mike was attached with a homemade rocket which was launched but quickly it was crashed. He self-made rockets, which he planned to fly into the outer space to prove flat-Earth conspiracy theories. Guinness world record in 2002 when he paused, a self-described flat Earth cons authored! 'S rocket on the line and flat Earth, he deserves kudos for that from answers in Genesis thrashing! ; Mike Hughes, aka Mad Mike 's mission to prove flat-earth conspiracy.! 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