A man who believed the earth is flat, died in the crash of his home-made rocket on the desert near Barstow.
64-year-old “Mad” Mike Hughes built the rocket in his garage. He climbed inside and launched it Saturday. The rocket went up into the air and then fell straight down and struck the desert floor. Hughes was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two years ago, Hughes propelled himself about 1800 feet into the air, before making a hard landing on the Mojave desert. This time, his rocket’s parachute did not open.
The launch Saturday was witnessed by a friend, and by a freelance journalist. The sheriff’s department said. “A man was pronounced deceased after the rocket crashed in the open desert during a rocket launch event.”
The sheriff’s department did not comment on the flat earth theory.
