Elon Musk, the infamous entrepreneur and innovator behind Tesla Motors and SpaceX, set off into the unknown by launching his own Tesla Roadster in space. It has been two years since the first launch of the Tesla Car, and so the question arises, where is Elon Musk’s car in space now?
In February 2018, Musk used a Falcon Heavy Rocket to successfully launch the Tesla Roadster into space. It’s design incorporated elements of Tesla’s very own electric motor, including the car’s iconic dashboard board, in order to make it a more powerful and resilient form of transportation. The launch of Musk’s car was part of his grand plan to eventually colonize Mars.
The Tesla Roadster was launched into an elliptical orbit around the Sun and the distance it traveled each day was calculated to be anywhere between 4 million km to 5 million km. The car was also programmed to play the classic track “Space Oddity” by David Bowie when in transit. After it’s initial launch, the car was spotted near Earth just two days later and made its way to the moon’s orbit by April 2018.
From its initial launch, calculations from experts such as Dr. Hanno Rein, a Ph.D. student at the University of Toronto, estimated that the Roadster, which weighs about 1,200kgs, would orbit the sun for approximately 1,000 years. As of August 2020, the car has now traveled 1.6 billion km and orbits around the sun in a 616 day cycle.
Over the course of these two years, the car has been through a wide range of extreme temperatures and probably been struck countless times by various objects and particles in space. These intense conditions have slowly begun to take a toll on the car and have caused its paintwork to slowly recede as well as its windows to slowly crack. Despite this, the car still continues to orbit the sun to this day.
Ever since it’s launch, the Roadster has continued to fascinate people and has been tracked along its journey by various aerospace enthusiast clubs and organizations who use various specialized equipment and software to monitor the car’s progress. In order to maximize accuracy, a three-body calculation is done and adjustments are made to the orbit of the car in order to track its location as accurately as possible.
Gravity assisted asteroid boosts
The Roadster has become an unexpected opportunity for asteroid researchers to study how gravitational forces interact in deep space. Since the car began its journey, it has made several close encounters with asteroids like 2001 AD14, 1620.Geographos and 2020 CD3. At these close distances, the sun’s gravity assisted the car by providing it with a temporary boost to its orbital speed, causing it to move further and faster.
These interactions are incredibly interesting to scientists and provides them with valuable data which could be used to improve the accuracy of mission planning and trajectory estimations, as well as providing a better understanding of the effects of space objects on the flight paths and orbits of spacecraft.
However, the car’s close encounters with other objects have not always been positive. On its journey, the Roadster has been frequently pummeled with debris and dust, with some scientists estimating that the car has been hit at least three to four times a day during its lifetime.
Further study is required
Despite its journey, the Roadster’s future is still uncertain. It continues to orbit our solar system but how long it can do so is still up for debate. With this in mind, scientists are continuing to monitor the car closely in order to study the effects of space objects on a moving vehicle. This will help us to gain valuable insight into how to extend the lifespan of a spacecraft and provide scientists with more detailed data.
As the car continues to travel, we’re sure to gain more and more insight into its current state as well as what might be in store for the future. For now, we can only sit back and marvel in Elon Musk’s magnificent achievement as we follow along closely with the Roadster’s galactic journey.
Reactions of the general public
Ever since the launch of the Roadster towards the stars, people have been fascinated by the journey of Elon Musk’s car in space. Many have reconnected with their dreams and their childhood ambition to explore space and have since gone on to explore and create their own projects related to space science and launch. Thanks to Musk’s vision, we’re closer than ever to unraveling the mysteries of space.
This has also spurred companies and enthusiasts that want to join in on the Race To Space. With companies like SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin all aiming to launch private citizens into space, the possibilities of experiencing space firsthand are becoming increasingly possible.
Aside from that, the Roadster has also inspired several other projects like Elon Visionary Kids, an education based initiative that encourages children to pursue their dreams of space exploration. So far, it has launched a handful of projects and organized several workshops across the US to inspire science and math education.
Car’s current state
Although the Tesla Roadster still continues to orbit its stars, its state is unfortunately not as good as it was when it was first launched. As it continues on its journey, calculative estimates presume that its battery has begun to fail and its electric motors have become worn out. It is predicted that further complications such as dust buildup and delayed charging will eventually lead to the car becoming inoperable in space.
Moreover, experts estimate the car could eventually break apart due to the extreme temperatures or any large objects that it may collide with on its journey. Despite this, most still believe that the car will be able to hold out long enough to circle the sun for at least several more years.
Risks posed by space debris
From the car’s origins to its current state, we have seen the results of the various objects, particles and objects in space that can affect a spacecraft’s performance. In addition, this has highlighted the importance of controlling the amount of space debris that is present in order to safeguard missions in the future. With an estimated 170 million objects and debris in orbit around the Earth, the potential for misfortunes to occur become increasingly plausible.
In order to combat this, respective organizations have created plans and regulations in order to tackle the issue. The Clean Space program was developed in order to minimize the risks of collisions caused by debris. The European Space Agency’s plans to also actively clean up space debris using lasers has also been proposed as a potential solution to tackle the problem.
Opportunities and Possibilities
The journey of the Roadster continues to be an incredible journey that allows us to better understand the intricate complexities and physics of our solar system. Whether or not the car succeeds in its attempt to go the distance, the effects of its presence will still remain and be studied for many years to come.
Not only is the car providing us with valuable data and insights, but it is also teaching us that even in a cold, dark place like space, there is still hope for us all. The car’s continuous journey and its slow yet constant progress serves as a reminder that no matter how dark or distant our goals are, we should never give up and continue to strive for our ambitions and dreams.
Inspiration and implications
The spirit of Elon Musk’s ambition has been felt far and wide, with the impact of his actions continuing to be felt across different industries and spaces. Musk has left an indelible mark on our society and has shown us that whatever our dreams may be, they can be achieved, regardless of the odds.
The journey of the Roadster has been further proof of that, serving as a continual reminder for us to unite, innovate and inspire in order to make our dreams come true. Elon Musk has done just that, and has inspired a whole new generation of entrepreneurs and innovators who never stop dreaming.
