Video shows a rocket carrying Mike Hughes launch in the California desert.
A 64-year-old man has died after launching himself in a homemade rocket in his latest attempt to prove the Earth is flat.
Video shows a rocket carrying Mike Hughes also known as "Mad Mike" launch in the California desert. Moments after liftoff, it plummets to Earth and nosedives into the ground, killing him instantly.
Despite evidence to the contrary, Hughes was a daredevil who claimed to believe the Earth was flat and set out to prove it by building his own steam-powered rockets in his garage.
His first launch in 2018 was successful. The rocket blasted into the air and then glided safely to earth with the help of parachutes. Hughes injured his back in that landing.
But this time, the launch went terribly wrong.
One of the parachutes was torn off and shredded at lift off.
Two witnesses spoke to Inside Edition about the incident.
"The parachute got caught in the thrust of the rocket, causing the rocket to go off course for a split second," said Justin Chapman. "What his team thinks happened is that he got knocked unconscious on take off because he had three other backup parachutes in the rocket that he didn't deploy."
Chapman said that despite the naysayers, Hughes believed in his mission.
"He wanted to show people that you can do extraordinary things, like launch yourself in a rocket."
RELATED STORIES
