He was born in the United States. But I knew how badly things could go wrong. I believe the truth is worth taking risks for.. Waldo heard that somebody was trying to reprise Knievels spectacularly unsuccessful 1974 jump across Snake River Canyon in a steam-powered rocket. So the carnival headed back to Amboy last summer. All Rights reserved. The 64-year-old American daredevil and flat Earth cons [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! Your email address will not be published. Roys Motel & Caf, the only retail establishment in Amboy (population: 4) on famous Route 66. Daredevil "Mad Mike" Hughes died during an attempt to launch his homemade rocket Saturday. In the days leading up to the fatal crash, Discovery.com posted a video of Hughes showing off the rocket in his front yard. Insanethats what I was thinking. The rocket flew for 22 seconds after the last of the steam dissipated, but Mike never responded to radio communications. 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. So they started cutting away metal to provide enough clearance. He later raised $7,875 in a flat-Earth fundraising campaign. There was no official anything. Hughes died in a rocket crash on February 22, 2020. Waldo told me a generator was down on power. Instead of Amboy, it would take place in a less remote spotwith cell phone service, hallelujah!eight miles south of Barstow. 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. Just a slender projectile hurtling silently to the ground. I love that ending, where he was able to be successful, Brusseau said. A steam rocket is a relatively straightforward device. Afterward, he reportedly collapsed and needed several days to recover. 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. Some undoubtedly do it for pleasure. Michael passed away of cause of death on month day 2008, at age 75 at death place, Florida. His launch was reportedly filmed as part of Homemade Astronauts, a new TV series about amateur rocket makers. [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. He had intentions to built multiple rockets that fly into the outer space and take pictures of the entire Earth as a flat disc. He was 64. Despite my misgivings, I was intrigued. Before her death, she got married to Franklin Delano Floyd, which made him put Michael in foster care. He wanted to do something original, and he came up with the idea of jumping a limo, Brusseau said. Times staff writer David Zahniser contributed to this story. Waldo checked out the steam rocket Mike had built at a truck shop in Fontana. Mike Hughes was born in Barstow, California, in 1955. Trying to set a land speed record or breaking the sound barrier struck me as goals worth aspiring to. Who makes jury-rig fixes at the eleventh hour when somebodys life is on the line? He announced at that meeting that he was negotiating a deal with a TV network to cover his launch attempts. However, he holds the American nationality and white ethnical background. 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. Waldo walked back from the crash, looking grim. michael hughes 1887 1957 michael hughes, Circa 1887 - 1957 . For a sickening moment, I thought it might angle disastrously sideways, like a ballistic missile. When he paused, a woman asked in a small, breathless voice: Is he OK? No, Waldo said flatly. Mike, along with Waldo Strakes, built a homemade steam-powered rocket whose intention was to fly 5000 feet in the year. That launch seemed to go flawlessly, as the parachute remained intact and slowed his descent. The series was scheduled to air on the US Science Channel. 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. 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.. CHUTE! 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. Then we waited anxiously for Mike to deploy the parachutes. 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. "There were a couple of live streamers, like . 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. Fame and fortune? I put my trust in Waldos assessment of Mike: Hes got a lucky star. The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking, new connections, and new industries. 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. Two armed but unopened parachutes were still attached to the rocket when it came down. The reaction of the flat-earth community has been varied. But for what? But the more Waldo talked, the more credible the project sounded. Predictably, everything went wrong during the next attempt, when Mikes latest steam rocket ignited prematurely, before hed even climbed into the cockpit. Mikes height and weight hadnt been disclosed publically. Over the years, hed worked as a motorcycle racer, race car fabricator, race car mechanic, NASCAR crew chief, and limousine driver. I helped to kill him. And what was the point? Saturdays launch was to be Hughes highest yet; he was attempting to travel 5,000 feet into the air. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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He launched a failed fundraising attempt for a rocket in 2016. Michael passed away of cause of death on month day 1958, at age 5 at death place, Colorado. I shouldn't have been there to witness it. There was no stopping him, Linn said. According to PubMed.com, to visuall see the Earths curvature one must travel to an altitude of around 35,000 feet. No, I didnt kill Mike, but I was part of the ecosystem that exploited him, and thats on me. He died while attempting to his homemade rocket in Amboy, California. Thank you for signing up to receive email newsletters from Answers in Genesis. Not only that, his childrens identity remains confined. 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. 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. Others were more somber, stating that his passing was proof of the dangers of believing wholeheartedly in dangerous anti-scientific beliefs. I think were looking at 50-50, Waldo said blithely. '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. Likewise Mike Hughes' tragic death. 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. After apogee, a reserve supply of helium would be used to inflate a balloon-parachute hybrid called a ballute. 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. 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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. I knew there were no backup systems. You had to shout to be heard over the low-pitched thrum of the generator heating water in the boiler. He said that my suggestion was tantamount to auto manufacturers being responsible for car accidents. Hughes acknowledged there were risks, telling the Associated Press: "It's scary as hell. He held an American nationality. 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. Progress ceased when Mike was arrested and jailed for extortion, but work resumed after a benefactor bailed him out. Head coach Joe Schmidt and the entire Lions team attended Hughes' funeral in San Antonio. 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. Mike Hughes was born in 1955. 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. You're almost done! Its not clear which makes more difference in controlling disease. Even an itinerant desert rat and amateur snake expert who answered to the name King Daddy Master. Throughout his career he set so many records and he was trying to add another before this tragedy took place. Even Sargent, a member of a community that raised money to support Hughes daredevil efforts, questioned the decision to make the documentary. The canopies shredded. Then, he planned to launch the rocket on the 10th of August 2019, which was postponed. I also wondered if Hughes was serious about the earth being flat; assuming he was, I thought about the implications of his death when it came. But, he had gushed about his birthday publically. Others have claimed that Hughes was whisked away by authorities to learn from him, and so his death was staged as a cover for Hughes disappearance. Video posted online shows the exact moment Mad Mike Hughes homemade rocket came crashing down to Earth after a failed launch attempt, killing the self-styled daredevil. It was horrible, he says. Were going to have to bury him, Waldo said. He is known for other names like Mad Mike Hughes and Daredevil. Should the scientific community trust him? Im sure that many other flat-earthers will continue to revere Hughes as one of their own as they mourn his death. When the superheated water is released, it passes through a nozzle at the base of the fuselage and turns to steam, producing the thrust necessary to launch the rocket. With 90 gallons of water in the tank, the goal was to reach an altitude of one mile. Our thoughts & prayers go out to his family & friends during this difficult time. Assorted flat-Earthers and conspiracy theorists. I knew, and I was there just the same. Nevertheless, Mike Hughess funeral hasnt been revealed yet. A freelance journalist named Justin Chapman and his wife witnessed this crash. There have been other terrible injuries. Editors picks Mike preparing for the August 2018 launch attempt. 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. The mayor/owner of Amboy, along with two of the three full-time residents. Dust and sand fill the air as the rocket launches into the sky, and as the ship veers sharply to one side, a yellow and purple parachute can be seen falling off the vessel and floating down to Earth, surrounded by smoke from the rockets steam-powered engine. Turns out that a pair of auxiliary chutes had blown off the rocket as it left the launch rail. Effectively, he was duped by FET (theory and theorists) into recklessly risking his life. 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