Tesla Roadster & Starman - Space Exploration Journey

Since its dramatic 2018 launch aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, you’ll find Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster about 65 million miles from Earth, speeding through space at over 4,000 miles per hour. The car, piloted by “Starman” mannequin, has completed nearly four orbits around the Sun and even crossed Mars’ orbit. While solar radiation has likely degraded its materials, the cosmic convertible’s journey continues to captivate space enthusiasts and inspire new conversations about space exploration.

In one of history’s most audacious publicity stunts, Elon Musk launched his personal Tesla Roadster into space aboard SpaceX‘s Falcon Heavy rocket on February 6, 2018. The cherry-red electric vehicle, featuring a spacesuit-clad mannequin dubbed “Starman” in the driver’s seat, quickly became a symbol of both space tourism potential and cosmic art, capturing global imagination as it soared past Earth’s atmosphere mounted atop the rocket’s second stage.

Seven years later, the cosmic convertible continues its journey through the solar system, having completed nearly four orbits around the Sun in its heliocentric path. You’ll find the car approximately 65,268,000 miles from Earth, moving toward our planet at 4,416 miles per hour while simultaneously heading in the direction of Mars and the Sun. The vehicle follows an irregular orbit with a 557-day period, having crossed Mars’ orbit in October 2020. The car’s speed reaches 121,000 kilometers per hour at its closest approach to the Sun. The Tesla and its trusty passenger completed their first orbit around the Sun in August 2019. The vehicle has exceeded its warranty mileage by an astounding 97,002 times since launch.

You won’t be able to spot the Tesla with your backyard telescope anymore – it was last visually observed in March 2018. However, you can track its location through WhereIsRoadster.com, which provides real-time estimates of its position. The car briefly made headlines in January 2025 when it was mistakenly identified as asteroid 2018 CN41, a designation quickly retracted by the Minor Planet Center. The incident highlighted the lack of space tracking systems comparable to aviation and maritime monitoring. The error prompted NASA’s Near-Earth Object Observation program to emphasize the urgent need for improved tracking systems.

The harsh space environment hasn’t been kind to Musk’s former daily driver. Solar radiation and cosmic rays have taken their toll on the vehicle’s materials, with its tires, paint, and plastic components likely degraded within the first year. While the carbon fiber parts have proven most resilient, and the aluminum frame, inert metals, and some glass may persist, you can safely assume the car’s battery and electronics stopped functioning long ago.

The Tesla’s celestial road trip won’t end anytime soon – its orbit is expected to remain stable for millions of years. However, calculations suggest there’s a 22% chance it could collide with Earth within the next 15 million years, and a 12% chance it might crash into Venus or the Sun. The next close approach to Earth won’t occur until 2047, when it’ll pass within 5 million kilometers of our planet.

The cosmic car, programmed to play David Bowie songs on an endless loop, has left an indelible mark on popular culture. While critics dismissed it as a mere marketing stunt or missed scientific opportunity, the launch demonstrated SpaceX’s capability for deep space missions and inspired countless pieces of artwork, merchandise, and tracking websites.

Musk has even hinted at a potential future mission to photograph the car, though retrieving it for research on space effects remains a distant possibility. Until then, Starman continues its silent cruise through the cosmos, a reflection of human ingenuity and showmanship in the space age.