Scientists Stunned as ‘Asteroid’ Turns Out to Be a Tesla Lost in Space!

A strange object recently spotted near Earth, initially believed to be an asteroid, turned out to be Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster, which was launched into space in 2018.

Astronomers Identify a ‘New Asteroid’—Then Reverse Their Findings

On January 2, 2024, the Minor Planet Center (MPC) at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics classified a newly discovered object as an asteroid and named it 2018 CN41. The object, detected by a Turkish amateur astronomer, passed within 241,000 km (150,000 miles) of Earth—closer than the Moon—and was classified as a Near-Earth Object (NEO).

However, just days later, astronomers realized their mistake. On January 27, Newsweek reported that the MPC had removed 2018 CN41 from the asteroid records after confirming it was not a natural celestial body but instead a Tesla car that SpaceX launched into space seven years ago.

How Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster Ended Up in Space

On February 6, 2018, SpaceX made history by launching a Tesla Roadster into orbit during the first test flight of the Falcon Heavy rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Why launch a Tesla into space? Falcon Heavy needed a test payload, and instead of using a standard weight block, Elon Musk chose his personal Tesla Roadster.

Cameras were installed on the car to capture stunning images of Earth and deep space. A mannequin named “Starman”—wearing a SpaceX spacesuit—was placed behind the wheel, giving the appearance of an astronaut cruising through space.

At the time, the event captivated the world, and the Tesla Roadster became one of the most unusual objects ever sent into orbit.

How the Tesla Roadster Was Mistaken for an Asteroid

The confusion started when a Turkish amateur astronomer detected an unidentified object moving through space. Wanting to confirm whether it was a true asteroid, the astronomer conducted extensive research.

“I first went to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Small Object Database and checked the dates of the object’s close approaches to Earth and Mars. I tried to link it to any interplanetary missions, but found nothing. I almost concluded it was a real NEO and stopped looking,” he said.

Still unsure, he posted his findings on the Minor Planet Mailing List, a forum where astronomers discuss newly discovered comets and asteroids.

That’s when Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, took notice. After further investigation, he realized that 2018 CN41’s trajectory perfectly matched the Falcon Heavy rocket’s upper stage, which carried the Tesla Roadster into space in 2018.

Not the First Time a Spacecraft Was Mistaken for an Asteroid

While this incident is amusing, it also highlights a serious problem in astronomical research. This is not the first time a man-made object has been mistakenly classified as a Near-Earth Object (NEO).

– NASA’s WMAP spacecraft, stationed at the L2 Lagrange point, has been mistakenly listed as an NEO multiple times.

– The Rosetta spacecraft, which was sent to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, was incorrectly identified as asteroid 2007 VN84 before astronomers corrected the error.

The Minor Planet Center (MPC) acknowledged these recurring issues, stating:

“This incident, combined with previous NEO confusion regarding WMAP, highlights that the available position information on distant artificial objects is very poor. A single source of information on all distant artificial objects would be desirable.”

The Future of Tracking Space Objects

With an increasing number of satellites, spacecraft, and artificial objects in orbit, astronomers are facing new challenges in distinguishing natural celestial bodies from human-made space debris.

This case raises concerns about:
– The accuracy of asteroid tracking systems
– The need for better databases to log man-made space objects
– The risk of mistakenly categorizing artificial objects as potential threats

As space travel expands, experts emphasize the need for more precise tracking systems to prevent similar classification errors in the future.

Final Thoughts: A Cosmic Case of Mistaken Identity

Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster has been floating through space for seven years, and it’s likely to continue its cosmic journey for centuries. While it may have fooled astronomers this time, it serves as a reminder of how complex space observation has become in an era where human activity extends beyond Earth.

One thing is certain: Musk’s spacefaring Tesla is no ordinary car—it’s a celestial traveler, forever drifting through the vastness of the universe.