In 2018, Elon Musk’s SpaceX demonstrated the Falcon Heavy launch system with a successful test flight that also sent Musk’s 2008 personal Tesla Roadster into space with a mannequin wearing a space suit called Starman in the driver’s seat. Now, more than two years later, Starman and his cherry red car have arrived on Mars. Back in October, SpaceX shared on social media that Starman had been his first close approach to the red planet.
“Starman, the last time it left Earth, made its first approach to Mars today, less than 0.05 astronomical units, or less than 5 million miles, from the red planet,” the SpaceX message said. .
Starman, last seen leaving Earth, made his first approach to Mars today, less than 0.05 astronomical units, or less than 5 million miles, from the Red Planet. pic.twitter.com/gV8barFTm7
– SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 7, 2020
What’s interesting here is that SpaceX points out that it’s the “first close approach” with Mars, and in fact Spaceman is expected to get even closer in the future. According to Ben Pearson, who developed an unofficial online tracker for Starman and the Roadster (via CNET), the Tesla will pass at a much closer distance of 1.4 million miles on April 22, 2035. It will pass to Earth in 2047.
While it’s fascinating that the Roadster gets so close to Mars, don’t expect any photos to ever come out of it. Although there are cameras inside and outside the vehicle, the vehicle’s battery has long since died. Musk had initially estimated that the Roadster’s battery would last more than 12 hours, but in reality it only seemed to run for 4, meaning Starman had just been out of space in silence.
And Starman and Roadster probably look quite different from the last images sent to Earth. Live science I pointed out earlier that the harsh solar radiation in space had probably already disintegrated most of the exposed organic materials – think of things like red paint, tires, leather seats, and so on. Finally, it is believed that the Roadster will be reduced to simply aluminum frame and perhaps part of the glass, as long as they survive the impact with passing rocks and debris.
What do you think of Starman’s continued journey into space? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.