Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster
Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster is an electric sports car that served as the dummy payload for the February 2018 Falcon Heavy test flight and became an artificial satellite of the Sun. A mannequin in a spacesuit, dubbed "Starman", occupies the driver's seat. The car and rocket are products of Tesla and SpaceX, respectively, both companies headed by Elon Musk. The 2010 Roadster is personally owned by and previously used by Musk for commuting to work. It is the first production car launched into space.
Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster; Earth in background | |
| Names | SpaceX Roadster Starman |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Test flight |
| Operator | SpaceX |
| COSPAR ID | 2018-017A |
| SATCAT no. | 43205 |
| Mission duration | Active: 1 Day In Orbit: 6 years, 2 months and 14 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | 2010 Tesla Roadster used as a mass simulator, attached to the upper stage of a Falcon Heavy rocket |
| Manufacturer | Tesla and SpaceX |
| Launch mass |
|
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 20:45:00, February 6, 2018 (UTC) |
| Rocket | Falcon Heavy FH-001 |
| Launch site | Kennedy LC-39A |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| End of mission | |
| Deactivated | February 7, 2018 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Heliocentric |
| Eccentricity | 0.25571 |
| Perihelion altitude | 0.98613 au (147,523,000 km) |
| Aphelion altitude | 1.6637 au (248,890,000 km) |
| Inclination | 1.077° |
| Period | 1.525 year |
| Epoch | 1 May 2018 |
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|---|---|---|
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The car, mounted on the rocket's second stage, was launched on an escape trajectory and entered an elliptical heliocentric orbit crossing the orbit of Mars. The orbit reaches a maximum distance from the Sun at aphelion of 1.66 astronomical units (au). Live video of the Roadster during the launch was transmitted back to the mission control center and live-streamed for slightly over four hours.
Advertising analysts noted Musk's sense of brand management and use of new media for his decision to launch a Tesla into space. Musk explained he wanted to inspire the public about the "possibility of something new happening in space" as part of his larger vision for spreading humanity to other planets.