Flat earther dies after crash-landing homemade rocket

**WillBrink** · 02-23-20, 08:53

From the stupid hurts files:

"Mad" Mike Hughes, 64, crash-landed his steam-powered rocket shortly after take-off near Barstow on Saturday.

A video on social media shows a rocket being fired into the sky before plummeting to the ground nearby.

Hughes was well-known for his belief that the Earth was flat. He hoped to prove his theory by going to space.

Saturday's launch was reportedly filmed as part of Homemade Astronauts, a new TV series about amateur rocket makers to be aired on the US Science Channel. The project had to be carried out on a tight budget.

With the help of his partner Waldo Stakes, Hughes was trying to reach an altitude of 5,000ft (1,525m) while riding his steam-powered rocket, according to Space.com.

In the video of the launch, a parachute can be seen trailing behind the rocket, apparently deployed too early, seconds after take-off.

In a tweet, the Science Channel said Hughes had died pursuing his dream.

Cont:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51602655?

**Alex V** · 02-23-20, 09:09

5,000 ft Hu? Wouldn’t a Cessna 152 do the same thing, much cheaper and much safer?

**Don Robison** · 02-23-20, 09:18

Originally Posted by Alex V

5,000 ft Hu? Wouldn’t a Cessna 152 do the same thing, much cheaper and much safer?

Or a $99 Alegient Airline ticket to wherever. LOL

**kirkland** · 02-23-20, 13:27

Originally Posted by Alex V

5,000 ft Hu? Wouldn’t a Cessna 152 do the same thing, much cheaper and much safer?

No that's just fake CGI. Nobody has ever been to 5000ft, it's all fake CGI NASA conspiracy, and gravity doesn't exist and Antarctica is an impenetrable ice wall that surrounds the entire (flat) earth.

In all seriousness, I did feel bad for the poor guy when I watched the video and saw his rocked plummeting to the ground with no parachute.

**WillBrink** · 02-23-20, 15:41

Originally Posted by kirkland

No that's just fake CGI. Nobody has ever been to 5000ft, it's all fake CGI NASA conspiracy, and gravity doesn't exist and Antarctica is an impenetrable ice wall that surrounds the entire (flat) earth.

In all seriousness, I did feel bad for the poor guy when I watched the video and saw his rocked plummeting to the ground with no parachute.

A metaphor for all flat earther types.

**soulezoo** · 02-23-20, 18:12

I only have one question:

Where's Waldo?

**arptsprt** · 02-23-20, 09:23

2020 Darwin Award candidate.

Clearly, 5,000 ft was his goal because at 5,000 ft AGL the earth does look flat so he would’ve gotten the answer he was looking for.

I laughed at one of the comments in the video link:

“The Earth is still round. Mad Mike Hughes is flat. RIP.”

Lol.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**Hmac** · 02-23-20, 09:28

I guess his intricate calculations for the flight were based on the earth being flat. Oops.

**Grand58742** · 02-23-20, 09:31

Win stupid prizes...

Hughes has repeatedly tried to launch homemade rockets and actually did launch an earlier rocket in 2018. During that flight, which reached a maximum height of 1,875 feet (572 m), Hughes suffered compressed vertebrae but still aimed to launch ever higher.

Flat Earthers are probably the most ignorant people I think I've every heard of.