Daredevil ‘Mad’ Mike Hughes died Saturday after launching his homemade rocket, which crashed into the ground in California.
The stunt, intended to launch Hughes 5,000 feet in the air, was going to be part of a new Science Channel series called Homemade Astronauts.
A statement on Discovery’s website confirmed that Hughes passed away on Saturday during an attempt to launch his homemade rocket. The Science Channel is owned by Discovery.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time,” the statement said. “It was always his dream to do this launch, and Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey.”
Hughes had spoken about his motivations for the launch in a promotional video on the website. “People ask me why I do stuff like this and basically it’s just to convince people they can do things extraordinary with their lives and maybe it pushes people to do things they normally wouldn’t do with their life that maybe will inspire someone else,” Hughes said.
He added at the end of the video, “We look forward to Saturday.”
Discovery earlier described Hughes’ plans as a “cosmic quest to explore the final frontier on a shoe-string budget.” The Science Channel had said it was following “three self-financed teams” pursuing these “sky-high dreams” as part of the Homemade Astronauts series.
“As ground-breaking and awe-inspiring as this event will be, it is only the first step towards an even more ambitious goal in space exploration,” the previous statement had said.
Discovery did not immediately respond to TIME’s request to clarify whether the series would still feature Hughes.
Justin Chapman, a freelance journalist, posted a video of the launch on Twitter that appeared to show the parachute drifting away from the rocket just seconds after takeoff.
Chapman told the Associated Press that the rocket appeared to rub against the launch apparatus, which might have torn the parachutes attached to it.
This was not the first time Hughes dared to take a risk with a homemade rocket. In March 2018, he soared into the sky on another homemade rocket in California, reportedly reaching speeds of around 350 mph before pulling his parachute, according to the Associated Press.
Hughes is known for his homemade rockets and his belief that the Earth is flat. He previously told the AP he believes the earth is “shaped like a Frisbee,” but admitted he doesn’t know for sure.
“That’s why I want to go up in space,” Hughes had said.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to a request to comment from TIME but said in a statement that did not identify Hughes, “a man was pronounced deceased after the rocket crashed in the open desert during a rocket launch event,” according to the Washington Post.
