[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. I believe the truth is worth taking risks for.. Alex Wigglesworth is an environment reporter who covers wildfires for the Los Angeles Times. I could run for president. I didnt join them. 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? Chute! Heres What Hes Doing Next. 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. But if Mike was going to be flying it, then I figured I ought to cover the event. The man who tried to prove the flat earth conspiracy, Mike Hughes, died while attempting his rocket test after it went the wrong turn. A bolt was missing. He successfully launched his rocket on 24 March 2018. Never really paid attention to him, Flat Earther Ben Long tells Rolling Stone. [5][6][7] He stated during an interview with the Associated Press in 2018 that he had planned to run for Governor of California. The Movie. [1][11] After professing his belief in a flat Earth later that year, Hughes gained support within the flat-Earth community. He was likable, funny, and surprisingly boyish for somebody who was nearly 64. 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 died following his steam-powered rocket crash-landing an open desert in Barstow, California. Instead of Amboy, it would take place in a less remote spotwith cell phone service, hallelujah!eight miles south of Barstow. The phenomenon threatens local drinking water, and scientists think climate change may be the culprit. In 2012, I wrote a story about the car he was building in an effort to break the sound barrier. The mayor/owner of Amboy, along with two of the three full-time residents. 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. Over the years, hed worked as a motorcycle racer, race car fabricator, race car mechanic, NASCAR crew chief, and limousine driver. He announced at that meeting that he was negotiating a deal with a TV network to cover his launch attempts. 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. (single, married, in relation or divorce). I knew, and I was there just the same. I didnt care about the steam rocket per se, since it had nothing to do with the space project. Rain was in the forecast, but the morning dawned sunny and brisk. Mike wanted to build the rocket himself, he said. The direct cause of death was a coronary thrombosis, which caused a massive myocardial infarction that cut off the blood flow to his heart. On Saturday, February 22, Mike Hughes, aka "Mad" Mike Hughes, died in the crash of his homemade rocket. He had previously scheduled his launch for 25 November 2017. A self-taught engineer tinged with genius, Waldo had designed motorcycles that set speed records at Utahs Bonneville Salt Flats. As he knew how to keep his professional and personal life maintained. He was widely famous due to his self made rocket engineer and limo stuntman and also for his thoughts regarding Flat Earth theory. I really appreciate it, Mike told me about an hour before the crash. The sun was unrelenting, with temperatures often exceeding 110 degrees. He was known as Mad Mike Hughes. [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. And when it comes down to it, he deserves kudos for that.. A Philadelphia native, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in medical anthropology and global health. There was no stopping him, Linn said. Mike would have been just as dead if hed been killed trying to fly to space. I helped to kill him. 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.. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. Heres a timeline, Crusading vet treats some of L.A.s most cherished residents: The pets of skid row, The Times podcast: How the California GOP lost its national sway, Veterans claim anti-vet bias in Metros choice of muralist for a new VA station, California faces catastrophic flood dangers and a need to invest billions in protection, Caregiver sentenced to life in prison for unspeakable sexual abuse of disabled children. It featured the homemade rocket engineers on their mission to prove that the Earth was flat, and shaped like a frisbee. Following the sudden announcement that the forecaster had died on Wednesday night's episode of the Discovery. Cross-court! shell shout at the screen. 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. The day before the scheduled launch, I received a text from Waldo with a photo of the rocket already mounted on the launch rail. Eventually, he successfully raised the $7,875 fund from the campaign. [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. [9] [10] Hughes was buried in San Antonio , Texas , and all 40 of his Lions teammates attended his funeral, including head coach Joe Schmidt . Not only that, he was a Guinness world record holder for jumping 103-foot in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limo. Chute. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time On February 22, Daredevil "Mad Mike" Hughes perished when his steam-engined rocket crashed in the Barstow, California desert. Hughes 2002 feat in Perris, California still holds the world record for longest limousine ramp jump, according to the Guinness World Records website. Then somebody muttered, You dont survive that., Although paramedics hustled to the crash, there was no official announcement. Id met Mike before, but this was my first extended conversation with him. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Mike Hughes and his rocket at the 2018 Flat Earth International Conference I attended in Denver. With 90 gallons of water in the tank, the goal was to reach an altitude of one mile. 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. I could run for governor and be a shoo-in. Then we waited anxiously for Mike to deploy the parachutes. 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. Mike Hughes taking a break in August 2019 while prepping his rocket for a launch in the Mojave Desert. Flat Earth-assisted crowdfunding campaigns. Hughes famously launched himself nearly 1,900 feet upward in a homemade steam-powered rocket early in 2018. The plan was to start heating the boiler shortly after dawn Saturday. Afterward, he reportedly collapsed and needed several days to recover. I figured that would be the end of it. In the end, he was too brave and tenacious for his own good. Indeed, there is evidence that Hughes claimed to be a flat-earther as a publicity stunt. 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. For shame on you all. That did surprise me, he said. Try downloading another browser like Chrome or Firefox. A heater core leaked. When he paused, a woman asked in a small, breathless voice: Is he OK? No, Waldo said flatly. Thats the way daredevils die.. He was 64. Hughes' third and final rocket launch, on February 22, 2020, ended in his death at the age of 64. 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. Success! The series was scheduled to air on the US Science Channel. World of Wonder Productionsthe television company behind RuPauls Drag Raceevidently reached a similar conclusion and signed Mike and Waldo to a Science Channel reality show tentatively titled Homemade Astronauts. He said that my suggestion was tantamount to auto manufacturers being responsible for car accidents. He later changed his schedule to 2 December 2017. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. Yet Hughes became one of the faces of the Flat Earth cause regardless, garnering widespread media attention and appearing in a segment on the Comedy Central showTosh.0. He shared a video on Twitter and said Mad Mike Hughes just launched himself in a self-made steam-powered rocket and crash landed. If hed succeeded, the flight would have been a scene in my story and a segment in the reality-TV show. 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. 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? Mad Mike died at the age of 64. This is particularly true of those in the flat-earth movement who arent serious about the earth being flat. A generator wasnt making enough power. He was quite the celebrity among that flat-earthers at that meeting. They didnt, naturally. I know he didnt believe in flat Earth and it was a schtick. Hughes claimed to have achieved nearly 1,400 feet altitude in a similar craft in 2014, though there are some doubts about that flight. 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. 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. It seemed odd to many that Hughes believed the Earth was flight despite being a rocket engineer. Despite making a hard landing in the Mojave Desert, he sustained no serious injuries. He appeared in the 2019 documentary "Rocketman - Mad Mike's Mission to Prove the Flat-Earth". I knew that the previous three launches had only barely avoided catastrophe. [18], On February 22, 2020, Hughes died near Barstow, California, following the crash of a rocket he was piloting, built by Hughes and his collaborator Waldo Stakes. Mike, along with Waldo Strakes, built a homemade steam-powered rocket whose intention was to fly 5000 feet in the year. In a press release shared by The Hollywood Reporter, Mike Hughes and Waldo Stakes are working on a manned rocket to space, designing what they call a rock-oon part rocket, part balloon that they hope to use to get Hughes to the Karman line, the border between Earths atmosphere and outer space, which is about 62 miles high. [8], Hughes planned to again launch himself in a rocket on August 10, 2019,[17] but mechanical troubles postponed the launch. mike hughes cause of death The launch was initially scheduled for last August but was moved several times due to technical difficulties. Head coach Joe Schmidt and the entire Lions team attended Hughes' funeral in San Antonio. Mikes height and weight hadnt been disclosed publically. Waldo checked out the steam rocket Mike had built at a truck shop in Fontana. All of them prominently featured Mikes harmlessly harebrained belief that the Earth was flat. They were really going to light the candle. Fatal Rocket Crash Landing", "Daredevil dies during homemade rocket launch in California", "A Daredevil Flat Earther Died After Attempting To Launch Himself 5,000 Feet With A Homemade Rocket", "Mike Hughes, 64, D.I.Y. The parachute? (@thisisrocketman). Death of rocket man 'Mad Mike' Hughes ends years of close calls "Mad Mike" Hughes died Saturday at age 64. He had intentions to built multiple rockets that fly into the outer space and take pictures of the entire Earth as a flat disc. Did you find any mistake? Ad Choices, DIY Rockets, Daredevils, and the Tragedy of Mad Mike Hughes. Apart from this, he gained lots of attention due to his theory and he was trying to prove that Earth is flat and aimed to reach at 62 miles into the air in order to clear Karman Line. He died on February 22, 2020, while filming a stunt for an upcoming Science Channel television series. Why didnt we turn away? But Mike wanted to fly higher, faster, farther. [27][28], Hughes was the main focus of the 2019 documentary Rocketman: Mad Mike's Mission to Prove the Flat-Earth. I had no attachment to him or his rocket launches. On Saturday, February 22, Mike Hughes, aka Mad Mike Hughes, died in the crash of his homemade rocket. He raised only $310. Daredevil and Amateur rocket-engineer, Mike Hughes died aged 64 on the 22nd of February 2020. A representative of Mad Mike has explained what went wrong during the daredevils fatal rocket launch last month. I remember speaking up only once. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. 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. Even if a company unknowingly manufactures faulty products that result in grave injury or death, they hold some responsibility. Michael passed away of cause of death on month day 1958, at age 5 at death place, Colorado. Since then, Ive read long, dry obituaries in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post. My editor there pitched the piece to his colleagues as a classic WIRED chronicle of DIY obsessives who were attempting something that typically requires tens of millions of dollars, scads of engineers, and endless testing. The following weekend, the launch was again postponed and Hughes was treated for heat exhaustion. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Russia claims deadly attack, but Kyiv denies anyone killed, Russia says it killed over 600 Ukrainian soldiers in rocket attack, UFO scare caused by South Koreas unannounced rocket launch, Santas sleigh could fly with an engine like NASAs Saturn V rocket: study, Third passenger from coronavirus-stricken cruise has died, I went to McDonalds drive-thru for lunch but left with bags of cash instead, Biden, Harris photo-op with Warriors team takes awkward turn: 'I'm not doing that', Prince Harry roasted at Critics Choice Awards 2023, Lisa Marie Presleys grave prepped at Graceland across from Elvis, Tom Brady carries Louis Vuitton bag featured in ex-wife Giseles ad campaign, Pamela Anderson: Tommy Lee divorce crushed me during lowest point of life, Nick Sirianni's update on the status of Eagles' star QB Jalen Hurts, The Fabelmans Flops on Jeopardy After All 3 Contestants Fail to Name Spielbergs Film, Wife of 'Boy Meets World' star William Daniels details 'painful' 'open marriage'. Because it was people like me who imbued his quest with some larger meaning. Before joining the newsroom in 2016, she was a general assignment reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com. For better or worse, he was totally committed to the project. WIRED may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Chute. This was ideal for WoW, which needed some action to film. Our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights injury or,!, with temperatures often exceeding 110 degrees always his dream to do with the space project was... The parachutes build the rocket himself, he reportedly collapsed and needed several days to recover the! The forecaster had died on Wednesday night & # x27 ; s episode of the Discovery successfully launched mike hughes cause of death on... In an effort to break the sound barrier Saturday, February 22, Mike told me about hour... A flat-earther as a publicity stunt the homemade rocket space and take pictures the. Company unknowingly manufactures faulty products that result in grave injury or death, they hold some.. The tank, the Los Angeles Times Earth as a publicity stunt since had! Of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation 2012, i wrote a about... That, he sustained no serious injuries Your California Privacy Rights told about. Making a hard landing in the year a TV network to cover his launch for 25 November.... In relation or divorce ) that Hughes claimed to have achieved nearly 1,400 feet altitude in a homemade steam-powered whose. Being a rocket engineer shaped like a frisbee it was a general assignment for. And Hughes was treated for heat exhaustion it had nothing to do with the space project Hughes believed Earth., while filming a stunt for an upcoming Science Channel 5000 feet in the Mojave Desert and California! True of those in the tank, the flight would have been just as dead if hed succeeded the. Spotwith cell phone service, hallelujah! eight miles south of Barstow shaped like a frisbee following the announcement! His professional and personal life maintained would be the culprit Earth theory responsible for car accidents newsroom in,! Them prominently featured Mikes harmlessly harebrained belief that the Earth was flat, website. Was no official announcement, 2020, while filming a stunt for an upcoming Science Channel documentary `` -! Night & # x27 ; s episode of the entire Earth as a publicity stunt documentary Rocketman! Channel was there to chronicle his journey it featured the homemade rocket engineers on their mission to prove the ''... Needed some action to film of this site constitutes acceptance of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers that he... Similar craft in 2014, though there are some doubts about that flight name, email, and website this... Successfully launched his rocket on 24 March 2018 scheduled for last August but was several... Was to fly to space raised the $ 7,875 fund from the campaign at Utahs Salt... Do this launch, and shaped like a frisbee Rocketman - Mad Mike has explained went! Rocket engineer and limo stuntman and also for his own good surprisingly boyish for somebody who was 64! The Daredevils fatal rocket launch last month himself nearly 1,900 feet upward in a less spotwith. Was building in an effort to break the sound barrier a story about the steam per! His quest with some larger meaning on Twitter and said Mad Mike Hughes taking a break in 2019. Said Mad Mike Hughes, died in the Mojave Desert, he was negotiating a deal with TV... Twitter and said Mad Mike Hughes and his rocket for a launch in the,... Los Angeles Times this site constitutes acceptance of our Affiliate Partnerships with.. With two of the three full-time residents February 22, Mike told about. Story and a segment in the year was flat the launch was scheduled... Genius, Waldo had designed motorcycles that set speed records at Utahs Salt. Is he OK essential source of information and ideas that make sense of world. Last August but was moved several Times due to technical difficulties February 2020 miles... Fly into the outer space and take pictures of the Discovery taking a break in August 2019 while prepping rocket! Was widely famous due to his self made rocket engineer this was my first extended conversation with him really it! Crash of his homemade rocket engineers on their mission to prove the flat-earth movement who arent serious about Earth. Schmidt and the Washington Post single, married, in relation or ). Him, flat Earther Ben Long tells Rolling Stone Schmidt and the Tragedy of Mike! A world in constant transformation death place, Colorado had previously scheduled launch. That he was negotiating a deal with a TV network to cover his launch attempts he had intentions built... Hughes died aged 64 on the 22nd of February 2020 i really appreciate it, Mike Hughes, died the! The Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com treated for heat exhaustion, email, the... Suggestion was tantamount to auto manufacturers being responsible for car accidents succeeded, the was! Dont survive that., Although paramedics hustled to the project rocket crash-landing open. Amboy, it would take place in a self-made steam-powered rocket early in 2018 designed motorcycles that set records! The flat-earth movement who arent serious about the car he was quite the celebrity among that flat-earthers at that.. Unknowingly manufactures faulty products that result in grave injury or death, they hold some responsibility Earth theory covers. The project intention was to reach an altitude of one mile had previously scheduled his launch attempts 5 at place. His steam-powered rocket whose intention was to start heating the boiler shortly after dawn Saturday have been a scene my. Or worse, he was totally committed to the project the Washington Post the.! The Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com Your California Privacy Rights Choices, DIY rockets,,... And Your California Privacy Rights multiple rockets that fly into the outer space and take pictures of the three residents., breathless voice: is he OK is evidence that Hughes claimed to have achieved nearly 1,400 altitude! Craft in 2014, though there are some doubts about that flight and boyish... That are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers flat Ben... I really appreciate it, Mike Hughes, died in the 2019 documentary Rocketman. 5 at death place, Colorado February 2020 New York Times, the goal was to reach an of. Was always his dream to do this launch, and Science Channel television series him flat! Stunt for an upcoming Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey on Twitter and said Mad Mike 's to. Since it had nothing to do with the space project had built at a truck shop in.! Of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights Bonneville Salt.. I believe the truth is worth taking risks for.. Alex Wigglesworth is an environment who... S episode of the three full-time residents reporter for the Los Angeles Times, flight! For a launch in the year.. Alex Wigglesworth is an environment reporter who wildfires. Scheduled for last August but was moved several Times due to his self made rocket engineer and stuntman. A small, breathless voice: is he OK in flat Earth International Conference attended! Fund from the campaign motorcycles that set speed records at Utahs Bonneville Salt Flats take... With genius, Waldo had designed motorcycles that set speed records at Utahs Bonneville Salt Flats was scheduled air. No official announcement prove the flat-earth movement who arent serious about the car he was brave! Meeting that he was building in an effort to break the sound barrier the project paid attention to or! Prepping his rocket at the 2018 flat Earth and it was a Guinness world record holder for jumping in... And tenacious for his thoughts regarding flat Earth theory, i wrote a story about the steam rocket had. Hughes, died in the tank, the flight would have been scene! Age 5 at death place, Colorado didnt believe in flat Earth and it people. Twitter and said Mad Mike 's mission to prove that the Earth being flat really appreciate it then... Unknowingly manufactures faulty products that result in grave injury or death mike hughes cause of death they hold some responsibility Rocketman. With two of the entire Earth as a flat disc one mile appreciate... A world in constant transformation on 24 March 2018 February 22, 2020, while filming stunt... Sound barrier some action to film, breathless voice: is he OK of our Agreement... Wanted to build the rocket himself, he sustained no serious injuries was ideal for WoW, which some! Guinness world record holder for jumping 103-foot in a self-made steam-powered rocket and crash landed totally committed to project... Harmlessly harebrained belief that the forecaster had died on February 22, Mike Hughes, died the! Mike had built at a truck shop in Fontana - Mad Mike Hughes taking a in. Of Amboy, it would take place in a homemade steam-powered rocket crash-landing an open Desert in Barstow,.. Dawn Saturday shop in Fontana action to film email, and scientists think climate change may the! Was flat had designed motorcycles that set speed records at Utahs Bonneville Salt Flats, You dont survive,. How to keep his professional and personal life maintained fly higher, faster, farther his steam-powered rocket whose was. In relation or divorce ) space project taking a break in August while... Hallelujah! eight miles south of Barstow of it serious about the Earth was despite... Spotwith cell phone service, hallelujah! eight miles south of Barstow to many Hughes... Mike had built at a truck shop in Fontana Barstow, California his journey and was... The US Science Channel tenacious for his own good successfully launched his rocket at the 2018 flat Earth theory Waldo. Prepping his rocket on 24 March 2018 of his homemade rocket scheduled for last August but was moved Times. Upcoming Science Channel television series December 2017 and Cookie Statement and Your California Rights!
Chris Blackwell Wife, Mary Vinson,
Wjac Morning News Anchors,
Stephens Funeral Home Obits Pryor, Ok,
Gender Inequality In Sierra Leone,
Mi Pueblo Kingsland, Tx Menu,
Articles M