A man, described as a 'self-taught rocket scientist', is preparing to prove astronauts fabricated the fact the Earth is round by launching himself in a homemade rocket.

'Mad' Mike Hughes plans to launch himself 1,800 feet (550 metres) high in his scrap metal contraption and fly through the air at 500mph (800kph) above the Mojave desert.

Ultimately, the 61-year-old limo driver's goal is to get 10 miles high so he can prove the Earth is disc-shaped and this weekend's flight marks the first step in his bizarre flat-Earth space programme.

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'Mad' Mike Hughes (pictured) plans to launch himself 1,800 feet (550 metres) high in his scrap metal contraption and fly through the air at 500mph (800kph) - which will mark the first step in his flat-Earth space programme

FLAT EARTH THEORY Those who believed the Flat Earth Theory claim our planet is shaped like a flat disc instead of a sphere. Because Earth's surface looks and feels flat when we walk around it, the conspiracy theorists denounce all evidence to the contrary. The leading theory suggests Earth is a disc with the Arctic Circle in the centre and Antarctica, a 150-foot-tall (45-metre) wall of ice, around the rim. Theorists claim that satellite images and evidence pointing to a spherical Earth are part of a 'round Earth conspiracy' orchestrated by Nasa and other government agencies. Followers of the bizarre theory also claim the Earth is stationary in space rather than orbiting the sun. But the international scientific community has consistently denounced the bizarre theory, putting forward decades of space imagery and astronomical research to back their claims. Advertisement

Mr Hughes has spent the last few years building a steam-powered rocket out of salvage parts in his garage.

His project has cost him $20,000 (£15,000), which includes Rust-Oleum paint to fancy it up and a motor home he bought on Craigslist that he converted into a ramp.

He plans to strap into his homemade contraption and hurtle over the ghost town of Amboy, which has a population of four, in the Mojave Desert and along historic Route 66.

'I don't believe in science,' said Hughes, whose main sponsor for the rocket is Research Flat Earth.

'It'll shut the door on this ball Earth', he said in a fundraising video, while explaining that Nasa is controlled by round-Earth Freemasons and Elon Musk is making fake rockets.

Down the line, he's intending to build a rocket that takes him to space, so he can snap a picture and prove with his own eyes that the Earth is flat.

'It's scary as hell, but none of us are getting out of this world alive. I like to do extraordinary things that no one else can do, and no one in the history of mankind has designed, built and launched himself in his own rocket', said Mr Hughes.

'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.

His rocket (pictured) has cost him $20,000 (£15,000), which includes Rust-Oleum paint to fancy it up and a motor home he bought on Craigslist that he converted into a ramp

'Mad' Mike Hughes plans says he will travel at a speed of roughly 500mph for about a mile over the ghost town of Amboy, which has a population of four

THE ROCKET Mr Hughes plans to launch himself 1,800 feet (550 metres) high in his scrap metal contraption and fly through the air at 500mph (800kph) above the Mojave desert. Mr Hughes has spent the last few years building a steam-powered rocket at the 'Rocket Ranch' in Apple Valley, out of salvage parts in his garage. His project has cost him $20,000 (£15,000), which includes Rust-Oleum paint to fancy it up and a motor home he bought on Craigslist that he converted into a ramp. He plans to strap into his homemade contraption and hurtle over the ghost town of Amboy, which has a population of four, in the Mojave Desert and along historic Route 66. Advertisement

'There's no difference between science and science fiction.'

This will actually be the second time he's constructed and launched a rocket.

He jumped on a private property in Winkelman, Arizona in January 2014 , and travelled 1,374 feet (419 metres).

He collapsed after that landing - the G-forces taking a toll - and needed three days to recover.

That distance, though, would've been enough to clear the Snake River Canyon, which is a jump daredevil Evel Knievel made famous when he failed to clear it during his attempt in 1974.

Stuntman Eddie Braun did successfully zoom over the canyon - using Knievel's original blueprints - in September 2016.

Mr Hughes constructed his latest rocket at the 'Rocket Ranch' in Apple Valley, California.

Ultimately, the 61-year-old limo driver's goal is to get ten miles high so he can prove the Earth is disc-shaped and this weekend's flight marks the first step in his bizarre flat-Earth space programme. Pictured is his space suit

This will actually be the second time he's constructed and launched a rocket. He jumped on a private property in Winkelman, Arizona in January 2014 , and travelled 1,374 feet (419 metres) on a previous rocket (pictured)

WHO IS 'MAD' MIKE HUGHES? 'Mad' Mike Hughes is a 61-year-old limo driver from Apple Valley, California. He believes that the Earth is flat, and thinks that astronauts fabricated the fact our planet is round. His upcoming launch will actually be the second time he's constructed and launched a rocket. In January 2014, he jumped on a private property in Winkelman, Arizona and travelled 1,374 feet (419 metres). Advertisement

'I want to inspire others - and you have to do something incredible to get anybody's attention,' Mr Hughes said.

The fictional town of Radiator Springs in the Disney movie 'Cars' was loosely based on Amboy.

Mr Hughes got permission from the town's owner, Albert Okura, who purchased the rights to Amboy in 2005 for $435,000 (£328,000). The launch will take place on an air strip next to a dilapidated hangar.

'It is absolutely the most wacky promotional proposal I have had since I purchased the entire town in 2005,' said Mr Okura, who's also the founder of the Juan Pollo restaurant chain.

Mr Hughes plans to strap into his homemade contraption and hurtle over the ghost town of Amboy in the Mojave Desert. He is pictured here with a previous creation

'He is a true daredevil and I want to be part of it.'

On the morning of the launch, Mr Hughes will heat about 70 gallons of water in a stainless steel tank and then blast off between 2pm and 3pm.

He plans to go about a mile high before pulling two parachutes. It will be televised on his YouTube channel .

Following his jump, he said he's going to announce his plans to leap into the race for governor of California.