A man who says he believes the Earth is flat and is building a rocket he claims will help prove this theory has been forced to delay his mission after being banned from using his planned launch site.

“Mad” Mike Hughes, a 61-year-old limo driver from California, has been building a rocket out of salvage parts for two years, costing him a reported $20,000 (£15,000), which he had planned to launch himself over the Mojave Desert at 500 miles an hour.

His plan to disprove thousands of years’ worth of scientific thought has been waylaid by the Bureau of Land Management, which has stopped him from making the launch on public land in Amboy, California, NPR reported.

In addition to his launch site issues, Mr Hughes suffered a set-back over his homemade rocket launcher, which he crafted out of a used motor home. The launcher broke down in his driveway, but has since been fixed, he claims.

The launch is only expected to be delayed for a short period of time, as Mr Hughes has found private property close to his original designated launch site, NPR reported.

Mr Hughes’ main sponsor for his rocket is Research Flat Earth. He previously told the Associated Press “I don’t believe in science” when discussing his launch plans.