A mysterious object that was initially identified as a potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroid has turned out to be none other than Elon Musk’s cherry-red Tesla Roadster, which was launched into space by SpaceX in 2018. The object, designated 2018 CN41, was spotted by an amateur astronomer earlier this month, who reported its close pass to Earth—less than 240,000 km from the planet, which is closer than the Moon’s orbit. This proximity raised concerns about a potential collision.
However, the Minor Planet Center (MPC) quickly retracted the asteroid classification after further analysis. It was determined that the object was actually the Tesla Roadster, which had been sent into space as a dummy payload aboard SpaceX’s inaugural Falcon Heavy flight. The object’s orbit matched the path of the Falcon Heavy’s upper stage, and the MPC officially deleted the asteroid designation, acknowledging it as an artificial object.
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The car, famously featuring a mannequin driver named “Starman,” has been orbiting the Sun ever since its launch in 2018. At the time, Musk stated that the choice of such an unconventional payload was intended to make space exploration more exciting and less “boring.” The confusion began when an amateur astronomer from Turkey, who initially identified the object, later had doubts after analyzing its orbital trajectory. The mix-up was eventually confirmed by astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, who verified that the object was indeed the Tesla Roadster.
This unusual incident highlights how even objects that aren’t celestial bodies can make their way into space, serving as a quirky reminder that not everything up there is a natural phenomenon. Musk’s “space joyride” has certainly taken an interplanetary detour.
