Picture this: a cherry-red Tesla Roadster, cruising not down a California freeway but through the vast, silent expanse of space. Seven years ago, on February 6, 2018, Elon Musk turned a car into a cosmic celebrity, launching it aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket. With a mannequin named Starman strapped in and David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” blasting (at least for a little while), it was a stunt that captured the world’s imagination. Fast forward to today—February 24, 2025—and that car’s still out there, orbiting the Sun. So, where exactly is it now? And what’s it been up to for over half a decade? Let’s take a journey through the stars to find out.
The Launch That Started It All
In 2018, SpaceX was gearing up to test its Falcon Heavy—a beast of a rocket designed to haul heavy payloads into orbit. Most test flights carry boring stuff like concrete blocks, but Musk? He’s not like most people. “Why not send something fun?” he thought. Enter his personal Tesla Roadster, a sleek electric car he’d driven before handing it over to the cosmos. I remember watching the live stream with a buddy, jaws dropping as the rocket’s side boosters landed back on Earth in perfect sync. Then, there it was: Starman at the wheel, Earth shrinking in the rearview mirror. It felt like science fiction—but it was real.
The Roadster didn’t just vanish into space. After detaching from the Falcon Heavy’s upper stage, it settled into a heliocentric orbit—an elliptical path around the Sun, stretching between Earth and Mars. It’s been looping ever since, a silent traveler in the void.
Tracking a Car in the Cosmos
So, where’s this cosmic car today? Pinpointing its exact spot isn’t as simple as checking Google Maps, but enthusiasts and scientists have kept tabs. Ben Pearson, a space buff behind Whereisroadster.com, uses NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory data to plot its journey. As of early 2025, the Roadster’s about two-thirds of the way through its latest orbit, roughly 200 million kilometers from Earth, give or take. According to Pearson’s calculations, it moves at around 12 kilometers per second—fast enough to lap every road on Earth 86 times.
I called my friend Mike, an amateur astronomer, to get his take. “It’swild,” he said, peering through his telescope last weekend. “You can’t see it with a backyard scope—it’s too small and faint—but knowing it out there? TThat’snuts.” HHe’sright. The car’s just a speck now, invisible to all but powerful instruments. Still, its path is predictable—until it isn’t
A Cosmic Road Trip: Where IIt’sBeen
Since launch, the RRoadster’shad has made some close calls. In October 2018, it zipped within 7.4 million kilometers of Mars—not close enough to wave at the Red Planet, but a milestone nonetheless. It’s swung by Earth a few times, with its nearest pass in 2021 at about 5 million kilometers. Each orbit takes roughly 557 days, meaning it’s completed over four full loops by now. Think of it like a galactic road trip, racking miles without a pit. Here’s Ae’s fun tidbit: if its bat hadn’t died (which it did within hours), it would have listened li Paced to ” Pce Oddity” over 700,000 times, per Whereisroadster.com. I can’t help but imagine him up there, nodding along as the solar system drifts by. It’s A lonely gig, but someone—or something—had to do it.
The RRoadster’sUnexpected Cameo
Here’s where it gets weird. Earlier this year, in January 2025, the Minor Planet Center—a group that tracks asteroids—spotted an object near Earth and labeled it an “ear-Earth asteroid.”Cue the headlines: “Ew, Asteroid Discovered!”But within hours, they backtracked. TurIt tIt turns out as MMusk’sRoadster is a miswhicwhichken for a space rock. “I caught it on the radar,” an astronomer friend said, chuckling. “It’s moving too fast and too perfectly to be natural.”
That mix-up wasn’t just funny—it showed how the carcass became part of the space landscape. It’s not just a gimmick anymore; it’s a tracked object, cataloged as 2018-017A alongside the Falcon Heavy’s upper stage. For a moment, Starman was an interstellar impostor.
What’s It Like Up There?
Seven years in space isn’t kind to a car. Down here, a Roadster might face rust or a flat tire. Up there? It’s a whole different story. “Radiation’s the big one,” says Dr. Tanya Harrison, a planetary scientist I emailed for insight. “Solar radiation and cosmic rays are bombarding it constantly, breaking down plastic, paint, anything organic.” The cherry-red finish? Likely faded to a dull gray. The tires? Probably brittle and cracked. Micrometeorites—tiny space pebbles—could’ve peppered it with dents, too.
Harrison’s guess? “It’s still in one piece, but it’s showroom-ready.” No kidding. The Roadster was built for highways, not the harsh vacuum of space. Yet it’s held up better than you expected, a testament to Tesla’s engineering—or sheer luck.
The Future: Where’s It Headed?
So, what’s next for Starman and his ride? The Roadster’s orbit isn’t stable forever. Simulations from a 2018 study in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society suggest a chance of crashing into Earth within a million years—and a 2.5% chance of hitting Venus. Don’t panic; if it does come back, it’ll likely burn up in the atmosphere, leaving nothing but a fiery streak.
Its next big moment comes in 2091 when it’ll swing within a couple hundred thousand kilometers of Earth—close by space standards.”Close enough to spot with a good telescope,” Mike predicted, already marking his calendar. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess. It could drift for millennia, a relic of human curiosity—or get knocked off course by a gravitational tug.
Why It Matters: More Than a Stunt
You might wonder: why care about a car in space? Fair question. At first, it was pure spectacle—Musk flexing his flair for the dramatic. But it’s grown into something more.”It’s a symbol,” says Dr. Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at Harvard.”It shows we can push boundaries, blend tech and exploration in ways that inspire”” When I asked him about it, he pointed to thelaunch’ss impact: millions watched, kids dreamed of space, and SpaceX proved the FalconHeavy’ss chops.
Take my cousin’s, Liam. He was 10 during the launch, glued to YouTube as Starman took off. Now 17, he’s studying aerospace engineering.”That car made me want to build rockets,” he told me last Thanksgiving. It’s not just a charity, a spark. Musk’ss Vision: Earth to the Stars
The Roadster’sjourney ties into a bigger game plan. SpaceX isn’t just about stunts; it’s about making humans multi-planetary. The FalconHeavy’s debut paved the way for Starship, the rocket Musk hopes will ferry us to Mars. Sending his car upwasn’tt random—it was a proof of concept, a loud””we can do thi”” to the world.
I dug into SpaceX’s 2024 annual report: 132 Falcon 9 launches, three Falcon Heavy missions, and Starship tests galore. The Roadster was the opening act; now, the main event unfolds. Musk’ss bet? That one day, I’ll look back at Starman as the quirky start of something huge.
Real-Life Reactions: What People Think
Not everyone’s sold on the hype. My neighbor, Jen, a pragmatic type, rolled her eyes when I brought it up.”It’ss cool, sure, butit’ss just clutter now—space junk with a steering wheel””She’ss got a point: critics argueit’ss pollution, a richguy’ss toy cluttering the cosmos. NASA tracks over 27,000 pieces of debris; the Roadster’ ss is another thing to monitor.
Others see magic. It’ss art”” my coworker Sam said over lunch.””AIs acar floating past MMarsThat’s humanity sayin’re’ree here.'” Posts on X echo that split—some call it genius, others a waste. Whatever your take, it’s hard to ignore.
The Legacy: A Cosmic Time Capsule
Seven years in, the Roadster is more than a headline. It’s a time capsule. Inside, there’s a copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a note of Musk’s geeky side. The dashboard reads, “Don’t Panic,” a playful jab at the unknown. It’s a snapshot of 2018: EVs were surging, SpaceX was rising, and Musk was the guy who shot his car into orbit just because he could.
Will aliens find it someday, scratching their heads at this human artifact? Maybe.’ It’s ours—a red dot against the black, reminding us to dream big.
FAQs About ElonMusk’ss Tesla Roadster in Space
Where Is the Tesla Roadster Right Now?
As of February 2025, it is orbiting the Sun, about 200 million kilometers from Earth, midway through its 557-day loop. Check Whereisroadster.com for real-time updates.
Can You See It From Earth? It’s too small and dim and does not have the naked eye or most telescopes. But pros with high-powered gear caught it in 2025, mistaking it for an asteroid.
Is the Car Still Intact?
Probably, though battered. R radiation’s faded its paint, and micrometeorites might’ve dinged I. It’ss not drivable, but it’s likely in one piece.
Why Did Musk Launch It?
I want to test the Falcon Heavy and have some fun. It showed SpaceX could handle big payloads—and got everyone talking.
Will It Ever Come Back?
Not soon. It might crash into Earth or Venus in a million years, but its next close pass is 2091—mark your calendars!