The story of the flat earther who died when he crashed his homemade rocket

Flat earthers are a small community that was gaining a large number of followers through the Internet and that, as the name implies, ensures that the Earth is flat.

According to its adherents, the Earth is nothing more than a flat surface floating in space on which the sun and moon move stationarily, a claim that contradicts the belief that it rotates on its own axis.

The "crazy" Mike Hughes was a great exponent of that current, who died three years ago in a terrible accident. I just wanted to prove, with a homemade rocket, that the Earth was flat. But the plan failed and plummeted from a great height.

The "crazy" Mike Hughes. / James Quigg/Daily Press, AP.

The crash was filmed because it was to be part of Homemade Astronauts, a U.S. Science Channel television series about homemade rocket makers. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Mike Hughes' family and friends during this difficult time. It was always his dream to make this release and we were there to chronicle his trip," they commented at the time.

Flat Earth. A controversial belief denied by the scientific community. Illustrative photo.

The flat earther intended to launch himself to 1,524 meters high to prove his theory. He intended to take images from up there because he defended that there is no curvature on the horizon, something that according to his reasoning should happen if the Earth is spherical. For these plans it has long been popularized to put a "Mad" – crazy, in English – to his name.

This sexagenarian American, limousine driver by profession and amateur astronaut who intended to reach space, lost the parachute of his rocket shortly after takeoff. In the video that was shared three years ago you can see how the protective fabric comes off at the moment while the ship is gaining height in an uncontrolled way. Then, the device falls uncontrollably to the ground without Mike Hughes being able to escape.

Earth. An image of the planet from space. Illustrative photo/file: Johnson Space Center/NASA.

Mike Hughes spent the last years of his life raising funds for the construction of his own rocket. After several "missions" canceled due to technical difficulties and bureaucratic refusals, on March 25, 2018 he achieved his dream of taking off for the first time. It advanced vertically at a speed of 563 km / h and reached 571 meters high over the Mojave Desert (California).

He had a hard landing, but that time he survived the jolt. He could not prove his flat earth theory, hence he wanted to climb higher. In February 2020 he died during a new attempt.