2 Years After Launch, Tesla Roadster Sports Car Flies Past Mars

Elon Musk’s electric Tesla Roadster launched into space more than two years ago just flew past Mars for the first time.

The electric roadster will pass close to Earth on November 5, within 52 million kilometers of our planet.

Researchers calculated that the car will drift through space until it crashes into Earth, Venus, or the sun sometime in the next 10 million years.

An illustration of “Starman” and Musk’s Tesla flying past Mars.

Back in February 2018, SpaceX launched Elon Musk’s electric Tesla Roadster sports car aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket into deep space.

Now, the vehicle and its driver, a spacesuit-wearing dummy named “Starman” sitting behind the wheel, just flew past Mars for the first time.

The Tesla Roadster made its first close approach to Mars on Wednesday, passing “under 5 million miles” from the red planet, according to SpaceX’s tweet.

“Starman, last seen leaving Earth, made its first close approach with Mars today—within 0.05 astronomical units, or under 5 million miles, of the Red Planet”

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Since the historic launch more than two years, the rocket’s second stage has glided through space with no fuel to propel it, with Musk’s old red car perched on top of it.

Elon Musk’s car is set to pass close to Earth on November 5, within 52 million kilometers (32 million miles) of our planet. It will eventually go past planet Venus and Mercury.

Shortly after the Tesla Roadster was launched in 2018, researchers calculated that the car will drift through space until it crashes into Earth, Venus, or the sun sometime in the next 10 million years.

This 2008-model Roadster was previously used by Elon Musk for commuting to work. The sports car, based on the Lotus Elise chassis, is the first production car launched into space and first to orbit the sun.

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