ELON’S always in the news isn’t he.
Well, he goes way back! In February 2018, the world paused to watch a rocket launch.
That’s not unusual.
What was unusual was the payload: a cherry-red Tesla Roadster with a mannequin in a spacesuit behind the wheel.
The idea came from tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX was debuting its new Falcon Heavy rocket – at the time the most powerful operational rocket on Earth.
Instead of a standard block of test weight, Musk chose something a little more… conversational.
Launched from Kennedy Space Centre, the rocket thundered into the sky carrying the sports car and its driver, a mannequin dubbed “Starman.”
The car’s stereo was reportedly set to play David Bowie’s “Starman,” a nod to David Bowie and a detail that ensured the internet would never let the moment pass quietly.
The plan was never to land the car on Mars.
Planetary protection rules are strict, and depositing Earth bacteria – or automotive upholstery – on the Red Planet is frowned upon.
Instead, the Roadster was sent into a solar orbit that crosses Mars’ path, effectively giving it a permanent pass to cruise the inner solar system.
The launch itself was a genuine engineering triumph.
Two side boosters separated and landed upright back on Earth in a precisely timed display that stunned viewers worldwide.
The central core didn’t make it home, splashing into the Atlantic – a reminder that spaceflight remains a serious business.
And yet, drifting beyond Earth was a red convertible with a mannequin at the wheel.
There were no scientific instruments on board, no experiments to run.
But the stunt captured imaginations across the globe.
Amid the complex maths and meticulous planning of modern spaceflight, there was suddenly room for a little theatre.
Today, the Tesla continues its lonely orbit around the Sun, occasionally crossing paths with Mars.
It may circle for millions of years, a silent symbol of human ingenuity – and perhaps a touch of showmanship. Serious science? Absolutely. A cosmic joyride? Also, undeniably, yes.
By Dave RENEKE
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