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My car is orbiting Earth, Mars: Astronomers confused Elon Musk’s THIS stunt for an asteroid

The car wasn’t entirely unoccupied, at least in a technical sense. Seated in the driver’s seat was “Starman,” a mannequin dressed in a spacesuit, who was launched alongside the rocket.

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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.

From Earth to Mars and beyond

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.

A humorous astronomical mix-up

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.’”

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.

What’s next for the Tesla in space?

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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