Five years ago, SpaceX made history by launching a Tesla sportscar – owned by the company’s founder, Elon Musk – into space. It was a demonstration of the company’s Falcon Heavy rocket and its capability to take objects to deep space.
The Tesla was placed into a trajectory that would take it beyond the orbit of Mars and into an orbit around the sun. While Musk had some fun with the launch – including playing David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ on a loop in the car – the mission was also a success for SpaceX, demonstrating their willingness to be innovative in their approach to space exploration.
So, where is the Tesla today? According to tracking data, it is currently in the orbit of the sun, about 248 million miles away from the Earth. The car is expected to travel around its orbit for millions of years, so it will be quite some time until we can hope to see it back home.
The mission was a success for SpaceX and marked a turning point in the company’s space exploration efforts. It also demonstrated their ability to think outside the box and come up with innovative ideas that push the boundaries of technology and science. The Tesla is still in its orbit today, a reminder of the possibilities that the space industry holds.