.jpg) Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster. Earth is in the background | |
| Names | SpaceX Roadster[1] Starman[1] |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Test flight |
| Operator | SpaceX |
| COSPAR ID | 2018-017A |
| SATCAT no. | 43205 |
| Mission duration | Active: 1 Day In Orbit: 6 years, 9 months and 3 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | 2010 Tesla Roadster[2] used as a mass simulator, attached to the upper stage of a Falcon Heavy rocket |
| Manufacturer | Tesla and SpaceX |
| Launch mass |
|
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 20:45:00, February 6, 2018 (UTC) |
| Rocket | Falcon Heavy FH-001 |
| Launch site | Kennedy LC-39A |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| End of mission | |
| Deactivated | February 7, 2018 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Heliocentric |
| Eccentricity | 0.25571[4] |
| Perihelion altitude | 0.98613 au (147,523,000 km)[4] |
| Aphelion altitude | 1.6637 au (248,890,000 km)[4] |
| Inclination | 1.077°[4] |
| Period | 1.525 year[4] |
| Epoch | 1 May 2018 |
| ||
|---|---|---|
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Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster is an electric sports car that served as the dummy payload for the February 2018 Falcon Heavy test flight and became an artificial satellite of the Sun. A mannequin in a spacesuit, dubbed "Starman", occupies the driver's seat. The car and rocket are products of Tesla and SpaceX, respectively, both companies headed by Elon Musk.[5] The 2010 Roadster is personally owned by and previously used by Musk for commuting to work.[2] It is the first production car launched into space.
The car, mounted on the rocket's second stage, was launched on an escape trajectory and entered an elliptical heliocentric orbit crossing the orbit of Mars.[6] The orbit reaches a maximum distance from the Sun at aphelion of 1.66 astronomical units (au).[4] Video of the Roadster during the launch was transmitted back to the mission control center and live-streamed.[7]
Advertising analysts noted Musk's sense of brand management and use of new media for his decision to launch a Tesla into space. Musk explained he wanted to inspire the public about the "possibility of something new happening in space" as part of his larger vision for spreading humanity to other planets.[8]
- ^ a b Miley, Jessica (February 9, 2018). "NASA Officially Lists Elon Musk's Floating Tesla Roadster As a Celestial Object". Interesting Engineering. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2018. JPL designated the artificial object as "Tesla Roadster (Starman, 2018-017A)"
- ^ a b Hammerton, Ron (February 7, 2018). "Sky is the limit for Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster in pioneering space shot". goauto.com.au. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
- ^ Kyle, Ed. "SpaceX Falcon Heavy Data Sheet". spacelaunchreport.com. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c d e f "Tesla Roadster (spacecraft) (solution #10)". JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System. March 27, 2018. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
- ^ LaMonica, Martin (September 21, 2009). "Tesla Motors founders: Now there are five". CNet. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
agreed-upon "founders" of Tesla. [...] Eberhard, [...] Elon Musk, [...] JB Straubel, Marc Tarpenning, and Ian Wright.
- ^ Harwood, William (February 8, 2017). "'Starman' puts Earth in the rearview mirror". CBS News. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2018 – via Spaceflight Now.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Starmanwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Mosherwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).