Musk’s space Tesla mistaken for new asteroid leading to red-faced boffins quickly reversing original announcement

Scientists and astronomers are constantly scanning the skies for objects that may well cause an extinction level extent, and while many down on planet Earth may think that if we ever do face such an issue, Elon Musk may well be involved somewhere down the line, they probably didn’t expect this.

Remember when SpaceX launched it’s first Falcon Heavy mission and shot a Tesla Roadster into space as its cargo? Well it seems like Tesla do in fact get more miles out of its cars than the standard EV when space watchers spotted a new asteroid hoving into view. One that hadn’t been seen before.

The Minor Planet Circular (which of course we are all avid readers of) published the findings and then, rather embarrassingly had to delete them the day after, alongside the message, “The designation 2018 CN41, announced in MPEC 2025-A38 on Jan 2, 2025 UT, is being deleted. The object was reported throught [sic] the identifications pipeline as a 3-nighter linkage found in the isolated tracklet file and more tracklets were linked in the ITF, leading to a small object on a heliocentric NEO orbit.

“The next day it was pointed out the orbit matches an artificial object 2018-017A, Falcon Heavy Upper stage with the Tesla roadster. The designation 2018 CN41 is being deleted and will be listed as omitted.”

Yep, the asteroid was Musk’s Roadster, still cruising around in space, checking out the views and, presumably, looking for space chicks.

There’s a ton of space junk up there, and, as expensive as Teslas are down here on the surface, up there it is just one more piece of litter, albeit quite an amusing one.

Electric vehicles are supposed to be one of the things that save humanity, not bring about the end of civilization as we know it. I wonder what the dinosaurs would have thought if they had been wiped out by a humble EV?

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