Tesla Roadster

In-active Cargo Mass Simulator Crew Capacity: 2 Diameter: 1.8 m Height: 4.0 m

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Feb. 6, 2018

A car in space.

Flight Life

It is now on an heliocentric orbit with no planned return to Earth.

Description

The car, mounted on the rocket's second stage, acquired enough velocity to escape Earth's gravity and enter 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). During the early portion of the voyage outside the Earth's atmosphere, live video was transmitted back to the mission control center and live-streamed for slightly over four hours.

History

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. "Starman", a mannequin dressed in a spacesuit, occupies the driver's seat. The car and rocket are products of Tesla and SpaceX, respectively, both companies founded by Elon Musk. The 2008-model Roadster was previously used by Musk for commuting to work, and is the only production car in space.



Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 5 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-100
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
6 days ago
NROL-105
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Twelfth batch of satellites for a reconnaissance satellite constellation built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Office …


Ceres-2
Failure
6 days ago
Demo Flight
Launch Area 95A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

First test launch of Galactic Energy’s Ceres-2 rocket.


Long March 3B/E
Failure
6 days, 11 hours ago
Shijian 32
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Chinese experimental spacecraft of unknown purposes.


Ceres-1S
Success
1 week ago
Tianqi 37-40
Rizhao offshore launch location - Haiyang Oriental Spaceport

4 small satellites for LEO Internet of Things (IoT) communication purposes.


Long March 2C
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
AlSat 3A
Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Earth observation satellite built by China's CAST for the Algerian Space Agency.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 6-98
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 8A
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
SatNet LEO Group 18
Commercial LC-1 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group.…


Long March 6A
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Yaogan 50-01
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

The Yaogan 50-01 is a Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
Starlink Group 6-97
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.