Hughes and a colleague built the steam-powered rocket in hopes of shooting the daredevil 5,000 feet (1.5km) into the air. The endeavor was being documented by the Science Channel, which wanted to feature him in a new series called ‘Homemade Astronauts’.

A video purportedly filmed at the site shows the rocket being launched into the sky near Barstow, California, before Hughes plunges back down to the earth.

Warning: This video contains disturbing images

The self-taught rocket engineer undertook the dangerous experiment because he didn’t believe that the Earth is round and wanted to see “with his own eyes” if our planet really is a sphere.

The 63-year-old first shot himself into the sky in 2014, and completed several launches. His most successful attempt took place in March 2018 when he propelled himself approximately 1,875 feet (572 meters) into the air before crashing back to Earth at around 350mph (563kph). He sustained multiple injuries from his previous flights, before ultimately succumbing to his dangerous hobby on Saturday.

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