Daredevil "Mad" Mike Hughes was killed on Saturday after launching himself in a homemade, steam-powered rocket.
Hughes was a flat Earth conspiracy theorist and was well-known for riding in his self-built steam rockets in order to disprove the Earth's sphericity.
Supporters said his rocket crash-landed shortly after takeoff near Barstow, California while filming for the Science Channel series, Homemade Astronauts during which Hughes was attempting a "cosmic quest to explore the final frontier on a shoestring budget."
He was 64.
You can watch the news report of the tragic news, here.
Hughes and his business partner Waldo Stakes built the steam-powered rocket that was expected to launch 5,000 feet into the air.
But footage capturing the crash landing revealed a parachute being separated from the rocket moments after takeoff.
The launch was meant to be a first step towards building awareness for a more ambitious mission.
The duo wanted to eventually build a rocket that would take Hughes 62 miles into the sky to the edges of the Earth's atmosphere.
Hughes acknowledged the risks involved to prove the Earth was flat.
In November 2017, he told the Associated Press:
"It's scary as hell. But none of us are getting out of this world alive."
Producers of Homemade Astronauts issued a statement announcing the tragic news.
"Michael 'Mad Mike' Hughes tragically passed away today during an attempt to launch his homemade rocket."
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time. It was always his dream to do this launch and Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey."
How his maladroit mission was sanctioned is anybody's guess.
People tried to make sense of the disastrous mission.
Few saw a silver lining in the wake of his death.
Hughes first made headlines in March 2018 after surviving a crash landing in the Mojave Desert.
He had propelled himself about 1,875 feet into the air on a self-built rocket near Amboy, California using a mobile home as a makeshift ramp.
Hughes commented on the crashed rocket at the time:
"This thing wants to kill you 10 different ways."
That same year, he announced he was planning on running for governor of California.
In 2002, the former limousine driver set a Guinness world record with a 103-foot jump in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine.
There had been no other reported injuries from Saturday afternoon's crash.
@lpeterp/Bluesky
@FPWellman/X
@bobsbeatgmail.com5/Threads