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. Mike's flight suit hung alongside a render of the space vehicle he and Waldo were planning to build. Larry and I found them about 20 yards away, a shredded tangle of green-and-purple nylon. "[24][4][25][26], Hughes appeared in the music video for the Death Valley Girls' song "One Less Thing (Before I Die)". Mike previously launched self made rocket in March 2018 and went above in the sky about 1800 feet and he told about his desires in an interview in October 2018.The Flat Earth thing is like everything else to me, I just want people to question everything. Internet Explorer is no longer supported. Also, their homemade rocket was for a Science Channel series, Homemade Astronauts. According to a journal published in. Two armed but unopened parachutes were still attached to the rocket when it came down. The Movie. He reached a height of 1,875 feet. It was getting him back alive. 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 earned him a speaking spot at the 2018 Flat Earth International Conference (FEIC) in Denver. I knew that the previous three launches had only barely avoided catastrophe. All of them prominently featured Mikes harmlessly harebrained belief that the Earth was flat. He had intentions to built multiple rockets that fly into the outer space and take pictures of the entire Earth as a flat disc. I spent four days over two weekends in Amboy. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. Hughes stated that the injuries suffered from the flight put him in a walker for two weeks. Similarly, those who promote the flat-earth movement (primarily on the internet), particularly such stunts, bear some responsibility for Hughes death. 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. Mike Hughes was born in 1955. I could run for governor and be a shoo-in. Throughout his career he set so many records and he was trying to add another before this tragedy took place. Related Why didnt we turn away? Daredevil Flat Earther 'Mad Mike' Hughes Dies When Self-Made Rocket Crashes He authored the cartoon book, Whoops Airlines. Mikes limousine parked at El Ranchito Rakete, Waldo Stakes property in Apple Valley, California. No, I didnt kill Mike, but I was part of the ecosystem that exploited him, and thats on me. Chute. The direct cause of death was a coronary thrombosis, which caused a massive myocardial infarction that cut off the blood flow to his heart. 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. It was always his dream to do this launch, and Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey. Hughes had no close relatives and lived alone in Apple Valley with his four cats, Brusseau and Linn said. Daredevil and Amateur rocket-engineer, Mike Hughes died aged 64 on the 22nd of February 2020. "[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. Mike's steam rocket on the launch rail in August 2019. Did you find any mistake? He was likable, funny, and surprisingly boyish for somebody who was nearly 64. CHUTE! That is nonsense. So the carnival headed back to Amboy last summer. 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. But that project, while far-fetched, had some legitimate merits, whereas this was purely a PR stunt. 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. The rocket flew for 22 seconds after the last of the steam dissipated, but Mike never responded to radio communications. 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. No chute. All Rights reserved. Mikes rep,Darren Shuster, toldTMZthat, upon launching, Mikesparachute got snagged by a ladder next to the rock. For shame on you all. He flipped over before reaching a cushion of tires but was unhurt. A handful of newcomers had shown up. 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. I think the mainstream media gave him way more attention than he deserved. The root of this objection, however, had less to do with safety and more to do with community members questioning the purity of his motives, the seriousness of his project he never contributed anything evidential, as far as Im aware, says Long or his alignment with the Flat Earth cause. (@thisisrocketman). He was 64. This story has been shared 100,258 times. (single, married, in relation or divorce). Mad Mike Hughes just launched himself in a self-made steam-powered rocket and crash landed. 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. His birth name was Michael Hughes. [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. Even if a company unknowingly manufactures faulty products that result in grave injury or death, they hold some responsibility. Disoriented, Mike released the compressed-air-powered parachutes while he was still traveling too fast. Nature had given Hughes the heart of a 60-year-old man. Chapmans unfortunate footage captures the first parachute disconnecting shortlyafter the rocket began its ascent and then freefalling. He was 64. Thank you for signing up to receive email newsletters from Answers in Genesis. Please follow the instructions we emailed you in order to finish subscribing. Its not clear if he was successful. Hughes spent his childhood in Oklahoma City. The 64-year-old American daredevil and flat Earth cons But, he had gushed about his birthday publically. However, a BLM spokesman said its local field office had no record of speaking to Hughes at the time. Im sure that many other flat-earthers will continue to revere Hughes as one of their own as they mourn his death. I asked them if they had any idea how off-the-charts dangerous this was? This story has been shared 114,809 times. 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. Mad Mike attracted attention for his conspiracy theories and for documenting his bold pursuits. Mike would have been just as dead if hed been killed trying to fly to space. 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. Before his death, Mike had lived a married man. Instead, I followed longtime crew member Larry Hayes, who was prowling around behind the launch rail. He appeared in the 2019 documentary "Rocketman - Mad Mike's Mission to Prove the Flat-Earth". [8], Hughes planned to again launch himself in a rocket on August 10, 2019,[17] but mechanical troubles postponed the launch. It was late afternoon, and the guys were thrashing to get Mike into the rocket before the last of the light faded. He raised only $310. Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Periodically, Waldo would call me with updates. 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. michael hughes 1887 1957 michael hughes, Circa 1887 - 1957 . On February 22, Daredevil "Mad Mike" Hughes perished when his steam-engined rocket crashed in the Barstow, California desert. [9] [10] Hughes was buried in San Antonio , Texas , and all 40 of his Lions teammates attended his funeral, including head coach Joe Schmidt . 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. The man who tried to prove the flat earth conspiracy, Mike Hughes, died while attempting his rocket test after it went the wrong turn. His post-flat-Earth fundraising campaign made its $7,875 goal. [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. 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. It. 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. A smattering of reporters and photographers. [8], In 2016, Hughes launched a failed fundraising attempt for a rocket that raised $310. Ive got balls, and I will roll the dice.. Alex Wigglesworth is an environment reporter who covers wildfires for the Los Angeles Times. The death of "Mad" Mike Hughes has brought attention to the danger of promoting pseudoscience but Flat Earthers stand by their "mission". 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. Hughes defiantly stated that the dispute would not stop him from flying: "I'm a daredevil. 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. [27][28], Hughes was the main focus of the 2019 documentary Rocketman: Mad Mike's Mission to Prove the Flat-Earth. 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. Roys Motel & Caf, the only retail establishment in Amboy (population: 4) on famous Route 66. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time. The tension was growing, and so, it seemed to me, was the possibility of a last-minute mistake. 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. mike hughes cause of death According to CBC News, Hughes collapsed after the landing and it took him three days to recover. A lot of things hes done would have killed somebody else or put him in a wheelchair.. Not because I designed or built the rocket, and not because I belted him into the cockpit. He died following his steam-powered rocket crash-landing an open desert in Barstow, California. It was always his dream to do this launch, and Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey. They did not respond to a follow-up question regarding the ethics of chronicling said journey, given the major risks involved and the unscientific nature of Flat Earth conspiracy theories. 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