Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is known for being one of the most innovative companies in today’s space industry. From their safe and efficient Falcon launch vehicle to their reusable rocket technology, SpaceX has been a company to watch out for. They have achieved so much over the years, including launching a Tesla into space.
The Tesla in Space
The news that SpaceX was sending a Tesla into space recently reached its five-year mark. As per the reports, Tesla’s car, the Roadster, has traveled a long journey so far, listening to David Bowie’s Space Oddity 496,287 times (if the battery is still intact). When the car was launched from Earth, it left at a staggering 26,619 kilometers per hour (16,540 miles per hour). But that is not all; the Roadster is believed to have an even more astounding fuel economy of 8,511.4 kilometers per liter (20,020 miles per gallon). A special tracker called “Where is Roadster?” was released to keep track of the car’s achievements in space. And based on the tracker reports, the car has orbited the sun 3.3 times since its launch on February 6, 2018.
The Future of the Roadster?
When it comes to the future of the car, no one has an accurate answer. But a publication, after analyzing its orbit in 2018 in an effort to determine its fate, concluded that in the next 100 years, the car will be a lot closer to Earth, getting closer than the Moon’s orbits. The scientists estimated that the probability of the car striking the earth is approximately 22 percent, that of Venus is about 12 percent, and that of the sun is nearly the same. If seen from a business perspective, the incident will most likely not have an impact on the value of Tesla stock since it will take place over millions of years.