A self-taught rocket man nicknamed “Mad Mike” launched himself 1,875 feet into the air in an effort to reassure himself that the world is flat.

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“Mad” Mike Hughes, a firm flat earth believer, wanted to prove that the world is shaped “like a Frisbee.”

In true Wile E. Coyote fashion, “Mad Mike” propelled himself into the sky in a homemade rocket on Saturday, resulting in a rough landing in the Mojave Desert.

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He converted a mobile home into a ramp and modified it to launch from a vertical angle so he would not fall back to the ground on public land.

Some time after 3pm, and without a countdown, Mr. Hughes’ rocket soared into the sky.

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He estimated that he had reached a speed of around 350 mph before pulling his parachute. He was dropping too fast, though, and had to deploy a second parachute.

After the launch near Amboy, California, the 61-year-old limo driver said he was fine, apart from an aching back.

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Mr. Hughes was given the go-ahead to launch his rocket by Albert Okura, who owns Amboy.

The launch is sad to have lasted three to four minutes, with the rocket landing about 1,500 feet from the ramp.

“I’m tired of people saying I chickened out and didn’t build a rocket,” he said after being checked out by paramedics.

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“I’m tired of that stuff. I manned up and did it. Am I glad I did it? Yeah, I guess. I’ll feel it in the morning. I won’t be able to get out of bed.”

“At least I can go home and have dinner and see my cats tonight,” he added.

In the future, Mr. Hughes wants to build a ‘Rockoon’—a rocket that is carried into the atmosphere by a gas-filled balloon, then separated from the balloon and lit —which would take him about 68 miles up.

extremetech

Mr. Hughes also plans to run for governor of California.

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