• News
    • Tech News
    • AI
  • Gadgets
    • Apple
    • iPhone
  • Gaming
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
  • Science
    • News
    • Space
  • Streaming
    • Netflix
  • Vehicles
    • Car News
  • Social Media
    • WhatsApp
    • YouTube
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
TikTok
Snapchat
WhatsApp
Submit Your Content
Scientists have estimated the probability of the Tesla Elon Musk launched into space hitting Earth

Home> Science> Space

Published 15:15 28 Jun 2024 GMT+1

Scientists have estimated the probability of the Tesla Elon Musk launched into space hitting Earth

There's a chance it could return.

Rikki Loftus

Rikki Loftus

It was six years ago when Elon Musk fired his Tesla Roadster off into space, where it has since completed four orbits of the sun.

Watching it disappear into outer space, the fact that it could one day crash back down to Earth wasn’t really something on our minds.

But it’s a real possibility that the car, along with its dummy driver nicknamed Starman, could one day end up making a return journey.

The Tesla Roadster has been roaming the solar system for the last six years (SpaceX via Getty Images)
The Tesla Roadster has been roaming the solar system for the last six years (SpaceX via Getty Images)

Advert

First blasting off in February 2018, Starman was listening to David Bowie’s Space Oddity in one ear and Is There Life on Mars? in the other.

In the six years since, the website whereisroadster.com has been estimating the whereabouts of the vehicle, and claims that it is now 82,283,753 miles away from Earth.

According to the site, the car is moving at a speed of 29,340 mph.

So, what is the likelihood that it could come crashing back to Earth?

Advert

Researchers published a study in the Aerospace journal, where they compared the Tesla to an asteroid, in particular a NEA (Near-Earth Asteroid).

In the report, they said: “Initially, NEAs reach their orbits from the more distant main belt via strong resonances.

There's a chance the Tesla could collide with Earth (SpaceX via Getty Images)
There's a chance the Tesla could collide with Earth (SpaceX via Getty Images)

“When entering these escape routes, many NEAs are driven onto nearly-radial orbits that plunge into the Sun.”

Advert

In other words, this puts an NEAs odds of hitting a planet at a very low 2%.

But the Roadster is different to an asteroid as the study continues: “The initial Tesla orbit grazes that of the Earth, so one might expect an initial period with enhanced collision probabilities with the Earth before it is randomized onto a more NEA-like trajectory.

“It is therefore unclear whether the Tesla is likely to diffuse to distant, strong resonances and meet the same fate as the wider NEA population, or whether it would first strike one of the terrestrial planets.”

The research group reckon that the closest the car will come will be around 3.1 million miles of Earth - and that won’t happen until 2047.

Advert

Elon Musk had the car blasted off into space in 2018 (Marc Piasecki/Getty Images)
Elon Musk had the car blasted off into space in 2018 (Marc Piasecki/Getty Images)

On a longer timescale of millions of years, the researchers say that there’s a 22% chance of the Tesla colliding with Earth, but that will likely be long after our lifetime.

So don’t lose any sleep just yet - while it’s fun to speculate where in the solar system the Tesla could be, it’s also entirely possible that it no longer exists at all.

The electric car could have already been decimated by a meteoroid or could have eroded as a result of radiation.

Advert

But if Starman is still living up to his name, he may be exploring the stars for millions of years to come.

Featured Image Credit: SpaceX via Getty Images
Space
Elon Musk
Tesla
Science
News
Car news

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

7 hours ago
12 hours ago
13 hours ago
  • 7 hours ago

    Rare earth minerals discovered on 353,785-acre Texas ranch could power everything from smart phones to military weapons

    The discovery was made on state-owned land

    Science
  • 12 hours ago

    There could be gold hiding in your smartphone as chemists find new way to extract metal

    And it's Earth-friendly too

    Science
  • 13 hours ago

    Scientists reveal the last thing people hear before passing away and it's terrifying

    It's the opposite of life flashing before your eyes

    Science
  • 13 hours ago

    Man-made object to reach a light-day from Earth for the first time in history

    Voyager 1 was first launched from Earth back in 1977

    Science
  • Insane amount of money you'd have today if you invested $10,000 in Tesla when Elon Musk first announced robotaxi
  • Shocking cost of riding in self-driving ‘Robotaxi' as Elon Musk finally launches controversial vehicle
  • Tesla robotaxi video sparks fears 'people will die' as accidents soar
  • Elon Musk issues three-word response after SpaceX rocket bursts into flames in insane explosion