In an intriguing twist in the realm of astronomy, a Tesla Roadster launched into space by SpaceX was recently mistaken for a near-Earth asteroid. The vehicle, previously owned by Elon Musk, was sent into space on February 6, 2018, as a test payload for the maiden launch of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket. An amateur astronomer in Turkey identified the object using publicly available data and mistakenly registered it as a near-Earth asteroid named 2018 CN41 with the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center (MPC) on January 2. However, just 17 hours later, the MPC retracted the discovery upon realizing the error.
The Tesla Roadster, now on its cosmic journey, has completed approximately 4.5 trips around the sun at an astonishing speed of 45,000 mph (72,000 km/h). Initially, the car and its mannequin driver, "Starman," were projected to enter a stable orbit around Mars after escaping Earth's gravitational pull. Despite its current trajectory that occasionally leads it past Mars, the vehicle is now in a stable orbit around the sun.
This incident highlights a recurring issue within the astronomical community: the misidentification of man-made objects as celestial bodies. Over the past two decades, several spacecraft, including the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft, NASA's Lucy probe, and the joint European-Japanese BepiColombo mission, have been temporarily listed as space rocks. Rocket boosters and other debris have similarly been mistaken for natural objects.
Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, noted the potential consequences of such errors, emphasizing the importance of accurate identification.
"Worst case [scenario], you spend a billion [dollars] launching a space probe to study an asteroid and only realize it's not an asteroid when you get there."
Such mistakes underscore the need for improved space situational awareness to prevent unnecessary interference between space missions and to ensure accurate observations of natural celestial bodies.
The MPC's swift retraction of the recent misclassification demonstrates a commitment to transparency and accuracy within the astronomical community. The American Astronomical Society highlighted the importance of this approach:
"Such transparency is essential for promoting space situational awareness, reducing interference between missions, [and] avoiding interference with observations of natural objects."
The Tesla Roadster's journey through space has been marked by more than just its mistaken identity. The car has impressively exceeded its initial 36,000-mile warranty approximately 100,000 times. Meanwhile, "Starman," seated at the wheel, continues to "listen" to David Bowie's album "Space Oddity" on loop—a fitting soundtrack for this cosmic adventure.
