Infamous flat-earther Mike Hughes has finally managed to get his homemade rocket off the ground.  Of course, who could have predicted that launching yourself into the air would result in a horrific crash, and a trip to the hospital?

Anyone, really.  If you can’t see the curvature of the Earth from a plane, as many flat-earthers proclaim, how are you going to prove the Earth is flat from a substantially lower elevation?  Common sense isn’t a flower that grows in everyone’s garden, however.

According to The Independent, “Mad” Mike, built the steam-powered rocket using scrap metal and ended up spending around $20,000 (£15,000) on the beast. Truly living up to his name, “Mad” Mike went for it and launched himself into the air, as an online video proves. However, it’s only true to say that his flight into orbit was pretty damn short, to say the least.  His “flight” lasted around 4 seconds in total before he landed crashed hard in the Mojave Desert.

In all honesty, a plane could have taken him quite a bit higher.

After paramedics checked him over, Mad Mike said, “I’m tired of people saying I chickened out and didn’t build a rocket. I’m tired of that stuff; I manned up and did it.” After his hard landing, 61-year-old Hughes, who works as a limousine driver, claimed he only had a bad back.

Upon impact, the nose of the homemade rocket, which Hughes had been creating from hand over the past few months, shattered as intended although Hughes admitted the landing was a close call. “This thing wants to kill you 10 different ways. 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.” Hughes said.

It is estimated that Mike reached a speed of 350 mph and a height of 1,875 feet before parachutes, reportedly supplied by NASA, were deployed allowing the rocket to land, relatively safely.

A year ago, Hughes said, “I don’t believe in science. I know about aerodynamics and fluid dynamics and how things move through the air, about the certain size of rocket nozzles, and thrust, but that’s not science, that’s just a formula. There’s no difference between science and science fiction.”

So, did Hughes prove that the Earth is flat? No. But he is a true eccentric.