‘test flights of new rockets usually contain mass simulators in the form of concrete or steel blocks. that seemed extremely boring,’ joked elon musk to the twittersphere. ‘of course, anything boring is terrible, especially companies, so we decided to send something unusual, something that made us feel. the payload will be an original tesla roadster, playing space oddity, on a billion year elliptic mars orbit.’ what is so unusual about this and how does it make us, as a species of earth, feel?

spaceX is sending elon musk's personal tesla roadster into orbit
starman in red roadster
all images courtesy of spaceX and elon musk

 

 

currently, yes, a tesla roadster is mounted on a ramp inside the nose cone of the falcon heavy rocket; spaceX’s newest and most powerful is set to launch in the next month or so. elon claims the roadster is his own personal vehicle, but, then again, aren’t all roadsters his children? ‘only a tesla would be worthy of this;’ #sodope; why, elon? why?’ — this week on musk’s wacky adventures, skeptics roll their eyes, while believers listen to bowie and dream about their sacrificial electric lamb.

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midnight red roadster sits inside the nose cone capsule of the falcon heavy spaceX rocket

 

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if the launch is successful, the astronaut roadster is supposed to orbit for some billion years or so

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space oddity will be on a loop, but it should be noted that sound waves don’t travel in the vacuum of space

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can you here me, major car?