Space Tesla (X/@MarioNawfal)
In February 2018, Elon Musk made history by launching his personal Tesla Roadster into space aboard SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket. This bold move was part of the rocket's test flight and featured an unusual passenger—“Starman,” a mannequin dressed in a spacesuit, seated behind the wheel of the car.
The Roadster, now a unique part of space exploration lore, continues to orbit the solar system, drifting between Earth and Mars. Recently, it became the subject of an amusing mix-up. Astronomers mistook the car for an asteroid as it made its way back toward Earth, passing within 150,000 miles of the planet.
Mario Nawfal, a user on X (formerly Twitter), highlighted this incident in a post, stating, “ASTRONOMERS MISTOOK ELON’S ROADSTER FOR AN ASTEROID.. NO, FOR REAL! Seven years after its Falcon Heavy launch, the car drifted past Mars into the asteroid belt, only to swing back.” He humorously added, “Imagine spending billions on a space probe, to find… the beauty of a @tesla floating. Always double-check your ‘asteroids.’”
ASTRONOMERS MISTOOK ELON’S ROADSTER FOR AN ASTEROID.. NO, FOR REAL!
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 25, 2025
Astronomers hilariously mistook Elon’s Roadster for an asteroid this month.
Seven years after its Falcon Heavy launch, the car drifted past Mars into the asteroid belt, only to swing back 150,000 miles from… pic.twitter.com/1caQcrcgaq
Reacting to this post, Elon Musk chimed in, writing, “My car is orbiting Earth and Mars 🤷♂️.” The Roadster’s journey has drawn comparisons to David Bowie’s iconic song, Starman, the namesake for the mannequin.
My car is orbiting Earth and Mars 🤷♂️ https://t.co/zuOd4PjZFa
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 25, 2025
However, questions remain about its ultimate fate. A curious X user speculated, “Isn’t it more likely to orbit the Sun? Kepler’s first law of planetary motion suggests it may follow an elliptical orbit with the Sun as one focus. It’s probably unstable and might crash into the Sun, making it a true ‘Star man.’” Musk’s Tesla Roadster, though unconventional, has cemented its place as one of the quirkiest artifacts of space exploration.
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