The cherry red car launched on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket demonstration flight and is expected to be in space for hundreds of millions of years.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — If Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster and its « Starman » driver are to survive in space for hundreds of millions of years, they may have to dodge some asteroids.
Musk confirmed late Tuesday that a final burn by the Falcon Heavy rocket’s upper stage engine had successfully initiated a « trans-Mars injection » intended to boost the car into an orbit around the sun stretching as far out as Mars.
Turns out it will go a bit farther out into deep space than that.
Feb. 7: Musk: Falcon Heavy’s center booster hit ocean ‘hard,’ damaged drone ship
Feb. 7: A Tesla Roadster in orbit. A ‘Starman’ at the wheel. Why this incredible image has us excited about space exploration
Feb. 7: Buzz Aldrin and Bill Nye toast SpaceX launch together
« Third burn successful, » Musk reported on Twitter. « Exceeded Mars orbit and kept going to the Asteroid Belt. »
Before that point in the flight, Musk said the sight of the Falcon Heavy launching and his car floating several thousand miles above Earth was « surreal. »
« It’s kind of silly and fun, but I think silly, fun things are important, » he said.
Musk noted that outside of the atmosphere, the car’s cherry red color looked « weird, too crisp » — proof that it was real.
« You can tell it’s real because it looks so fake, » he joked. « It’s just literally a normal car in space, which I kind of like the absurdity of that. »
Feb. 6: Elon Musk successfully launched his Tesla into orbit on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket
Feb. 5: SpaceX: Elon Musk plans to drive a Tesla to Mars (with some Falcon Heavy rocket help)
Feb. 5: Graphic: How SpaceX plans to take another step toward the moon, Mars
A new rocket flying a demonstration flight would typically launch something like a block of concrete to simulate the mass of a spacecraft.
Musk and SpaceX decided that was too boring.
« And I think the imagery of it is something that’s going to get people excited around the world, » he said. « And it’s still tripping me out. »
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Jan. 5: Elon Musk: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy launch will be before end of January
Dec. 27: Elon Musk reveals red Tesla Roadster bound for Mars
Dec. 21: Photos: See the world’s most powerful rocket — all 27 engines — before it launches
