Get All Access for $5/mo

Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster Has a Close Encounter With Mars "Starman" gave the red planet a buzz during his epic space journey.

By Entrepreneur Staff

Handout | Getty Images

Elon Musk's Tesla roadster buzzed Mars on Wednesday.

The roadster, "piloted" by a mannequin dubbed Starman, was deployed into space by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket in 2018. This week, it came within 5 million miles of the red planet. That might not sound super close, but you have to keep in mind the scale of the solar system. It is currently 37 million miles from Earth.

Related: Do You Drink More Coffee Than Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Other Creative Leaders?

Starman has traveled nearly 1.3 billion miles and has completed approximately 1.7507 orbits around the Sun, according to the tracking website whereisroadster.com.

CNN reports that Starman could one day park itself (i.e. crash) back on Earth. But not anytime soon. A paper by Hanno Rein from the University of Toronto in Canada, calculates that the roadster has a 6% chance of crashing on Earth in the next million years.
Entrepreneur Staff

Entrepreneur Staff

Editor

For more than 30 years, Entrepreneur has set the course for success for millions of entrepreneurs and small business owners. We'll teach you the secrets of the winners and give you exactly what you need to lay the groundwork for success.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Most Popular

See all
Branding

ChatGPT is Becoming More Human-Like. Here's How The Tool is Getting Smarter at Replicating Your Voice, Brand and Personality.

AI can be instrumental in building your brand and boosting awareness, but the right approach is critical. A custom GPT delivers tailored collateral based on your ethos, personality and unique positioning factors.

By Tatiana Dumitru
Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

By Eve Gumpel
Business News

Is the AI Industry Consolidating? Hugging Face CEO Says More AI Entrepreneurs Are Looking to Be Acquired

Clément Delangue, the CEO of Hugging Face, a $4.5 billion startup, says he gets at least 10 acquisition requests a week and it's "increased quite a lot."

By Sherin Shibu
Business News

Apple Reportedly Isn't Paying OpenAI to Use ChatGPT in iPhones

The next big iPhone update brings ChatGPT directly to Apple devices.

By Sherin Shibu
Growing a Business

He Immigrated to the U.S. and Got a Job at McDonald's — Then His Aversion to Being 'Too Comfortable' Led to a Fast-Growing Company That's Hard to Miss

Voyo Popovic launched his moving and storage company in 2018 — and he's been innovating in the industry ever since.

By Amanda Breen
Business News

Sony Pictures Entertainment Purchases Struggling, Cult-Favorite Movie Theater Chain

Alamo Drafthouse originally emerged from bankruptcy in June 2021.

By Emily Rella