Cars & Vehicles / tesla-roadster-sent-to-space
Facts about Tesla Roadster Sent to Space
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Starman, the spacesuit-clad mannequin behind the wheel, had David Bowie's music playing on the car's sound system at launch.
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In its heliocentric orbit, the Roadster has traveled billions of miles since launch, periodically making close approaches to Mars and Earth.
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A SpaceX Falcon Heavy's payload capacity far exceeded the Roadster's weight, making the car a symbolic dummy payload for the rocket's inaugural test flight.
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The car was placed into a heliocentric orbit, meaning it travels around the Sun rather than remaining in Earth's orbit.
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Elon Musk's personal Tesla Roadster was launched aboard the Falcon Heavy rocket in February 2018, with a mannequin called Starman in the driver's seat.