Rocket man who believes the Earth is flat says he launched himself 1,875 feet into the air

A self-taught rocket scientist who believes the Earth is flat says he launched himself nearly 2,000 feet above the Mojave Desert on Saturday in a homemade rocket.

"Mad" Mike Hughes, 61, told the Associated Press that he was "relieved" after a safe landing. "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.”

Hughes, a limo driver, says he spent months overhauling a steam-powered rocket in his garage. He also converted a mobile home into a ramp so that the rocket would launch at a vertical angle.

The launch near the desert town of Amboy, California was originally planned for November, but had to be rescheduled several times due to mechanical issues and logistical issues with the Bureau of Land Management.

The rocket finally soared into the sky around 3 p.m. Saturday.

Watch video of the launch below:

Hughes says he reached an altitude of 1,875 feet. It was estimated that he reached a speed of 350 mph before pulling his parachute. Hughes deployed a second parachute as he was dropping too quickly. He landed with a hard thud.

“This thing wants to kill you 10 different ways,” Hughes told the Associated Press. “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 has faced criticism on social media for his plan to launch in the homemade rocket and for his belief that the Earth his flat. However, he maintained in a January Facebook video that his goal with the rocket launch was not to prove a flat Earth.

He says the purpose of the launch was to gain publicity and help raise money for a $2 million launch into space later this year. He also has plans to run for governor.

Hughes said this was the second time he's constructed and launched a rocket. He said he traveled to an altitude of 1,374 feet in January 2014, but some have questioned whether he was actually in the rocket for that launch. There was no footage of him climbing into the vessel.

Hughes has a documentary crew following him around to record his ambition, with a planned release in August.