August M
What began as a headline-grabbing stunt has turned into one of the strangest objects orbiting the Sun.
Years after launch, Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster is still travelling through space, far from home.
According to LADbible, the car was sent into orbit in 2018 aboard a SpaceX test flight, with a mannequin named “Starman” placed in the driver’s seat.
The vehicle was also packed with novelty items, including a Hot Wheels toy and a copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, adding to the unusual nature of the mission.
Where it is now
Tracking data cited by LADbible suggests the Roadster is currently far beyond Earth, moving along its own path around the Sun.
At present, it is reported to be more than 176 million miles from Earth and travelling towards the planet at roughly 18,440mph.
The car’s orbit stretches past Mars, placing it about 132 million miles from the red planet and over 140 million miles from the Sun.
Since launch, it has completed several orbits around the Sun, continuing its journey through deep space.
Slim return odds
Despite heading in Earth’s direction, experts say the chances of the vehicle ever hitting the planet are extremely low due to the vast distances involved.
Space is so expansive that even objects on intersecting paths rarely collide.
However, the report notes that if the car were to return and cause damage, responsibility could become a legal issue.
Dr Thomas Cheney, a legal expert at Northumbria University, told Forbes: “Space is big, and the likelihood this causes issues beyond annoying people is minimal, but launching things into outer space should be done responsibly and for clear-cut justifiable purposes, not on the whims of a billionaire,”
He added: “The only legal trouble Musk could get into is if the Tesla hits another human-made object and causes damage, but even then under the liability regime established by the Liability Convention and the Outer Space Treaty it would need to be proven that the Tesla was ‘at fault’.”
A lasting stunt
The launch was originally intended as a demonstration of SpaceX’s capabilities, with Musk reportedly choosing the car as a deliberately unusual payload.
More than eight years later, the Roadster remains in orbit, continuing to circle the Sun as one of the most unconventional objects ever sent into space.
Sources: LADbible, Forbes
