Musk’s Tesla Roadster Mistaken for an Asteroid

Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster, the one launched into space back in 2018, was recently mistaken for an asteroid by astronomers.

However, The mistake was quickly fixed, but it’s the kind of funny mix-up that makes you smile and shake your head at the same time.

The Mix-Up

The Minor Planet Center (MPC), a group that tracks objects in space, spotted something unusual less than 150,000 miles (240,000 km) from Earth earlier this month.

The MPC thought it was a near-Earth object (NEO), which is a space rock that comes close to our planet, and named it “2018 CN41.”

However, The “asteroid” wasn’t a space rock at all, it was Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster. Then, MPC quickly removed the entry, but the story had already spread.

The Roadster’s Space Adventure

The Tesla Roadster’s trip to space started in February 2018 when SpaceX launched it using the Falcon Heavy rocket.

The car had a mannequin named “Starman” in the driver’s seat and cameras to record its journey.

The photos and videos of Starman cruising through space with Earth in the background became iconic.

Six years later, the Roadster is still out there, drifting through space. Some experts think it might eventually get close to Mars or even go farther into the solar system.

For now, it’s just floating around, a unique piece of human-made space history.

Musk’s Reaction

On X (formerly Twitter), he wrote,

“My car is orbiting Earth and Mars,”

adding a shrugging emoji.

What SpaceX Has Been Up To

Since the Roadster’s launch, SpaceX has been busy with even bigger projects.

The company has been testing its Starship rocket, a massive spacecraft designed to carry people to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

The most recent test flight, the seventh one, didn’t go perfectly, the rocket was lost during the flight, but each test brings SpaceX closer to its goals.

SpaceX is also working on its Starlink project, which aims to provide internet access to people all over the world, even in remote areas.

The company is expanding its facilities in Texas to double production by 2025.

The Roadster isn’t just a car in space, it’s a symbol of what happens when people think outside the box and aren’t afraid to try something different.

As the Roadster continues its journey through space, it’s a quirky reminder of human creativity and the joy of exploration.

Maybe one day it’ll get close enough to Mars to give Starman a view of the Red Planet.