SpaceX also livestreamed the Tesla in a video that sparks the imagination

Overnight in Asia, Elon Musk successfully launched the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in one of the most watched space exploration events in awhile. The launch was the most powerful in the space travel and led Musk to wonder if we were embarking on a new space race.

It was a resounding success, and even its most notable failure is just kind of funny. (Although probably less so if it involved humans).

So here it goes. A notable part of the launch was that Musk used the moment as a bit of a marketing event by making the key payload a Tesla roadster. The goal was to complete three ‘burns‘ and send the roadster to Mars.

Presumably, the goal would be to show the potential of a SpaceX rocket reaching Mars because Musk has long made extraterrestrial exploration (and inhabitation) as a top pet-project for the billionaire.

The plan was to leverage the Sun and slingshot the rocket to Mars, but unfortunately the SpaceX teams appears to have overshot its trajectory.

Instead of landing on Mars, our space-bound Tesla is likely destined for a crash landing in the asteroid belt. (Well, the car definitely heading towards the astroid belt but I guess predicting the crash-landing is a bit presumptuous).

To be fair, Musk never really thought the car would land on Mars, saying there was an extremely tiny chance that the Tesla would land on the Red Planet.

SpaceX also livestreamed a chunk of the car’s trip in a video that sparks the imagination. Check it out below.

 

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Photo courtesy of SpaceX.

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