Astronomers Mistake Elon Musk’s Tesla for a Near-Earth Asteroid

A recent astronomical discovery turned out to be less of a cosmic revelation and more of a case of mistaken identity, as a newly identified “asteroid” was, in fact, Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster—launched into space in 2018 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

A Case of Misidentification

On January 2, the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center (MPC) added an object, designated 2018 CN41, to its list of near-Earth asteroids. This classification came after an amateur astronomer in Turkey, analyzing years of publicly available data, mistakenly identified Musk’s Tesla as a newly discovered asteroid. However, just 17 hours later, the MPC issued a retraction after the astronomer realized the error.

This incident underscores the growing challenges in differentiating space debris from natural celestial objects. As more human-made objects venture beyond Earth’s orbit, astronomers warn that such misidentifications may become increasingly common.

The Tesla’s Journey Through Space

Originally launched as a test payload during the maiden flight of the Falcon Heavy rocket, Musk’s Tesla Roadster—complete with a spacesuit-clad mannequin dubbed “Starman”—was intended to orbit Mars. However, instead of achieving Martian orbit, the vehicle overshot its target and entered a stable trajectory around the Sun.

Since its launch, the car has completed approximately 4.5 orbits around the Sun at an average speed of 45,000 mph (72,000 km/h). According to whereisroadster.com, it has far exceeded its original 36,000-mile warranty—by about 100,000 times. However, prolonged exposure to intense solar radiation and impacts from micrometeorites have likely rendered the car unrecognizable, stripping away its outer layers and significantly damaging Starman.

Growing Challenges in Space Observation

This is not the first time human-made objects have been mistaken for asteroids. Over the years, the MPC has temporarily classified several spacecraft—including ESA’s Rosetta probe, NASA’s Lucy mission, and the BepiColombo spacecraft—as space rocks. With an increasing number of satellites and debris in orbit, scientists caution that such misidentifications could lead to costly errors.

Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, warns of potential financial repercussions. “Worst case scenario, you spend a billion dollars launching a probe to study an asteroid, only to realize it’s not an asteroid when you get there,” he told Astronomy.com.

The Need for Better Space Tracking

Despite existing regulations requiring agencies to track objects in Earth’s orbit, no laws mandate similar monitoring for spacecraft that escape Earth’s gravity. Experts argue that increased transparency is crucial to enhancing space situational awareness, preventing mission interference, and ensuring accurate astronomical observations.

As the number of human-made objects in deep space grows, the need for improved tracking and classification systems becomes ever more critical—to avoid costly mistakes and ensure the accuracy of future space discoveries. Sion speech Sunday, “but there is a man facing Marine Le Pen who has let in 2 million immigrants … who would therefore do worse if he were reelected — it is for this reason that I call on my voters to vote for Marine Le Pen.”