A Tesla Roadster is Launched to Mars, and a New Space Age Begins

americanthinker.com ^ | 2/7/2018 | Andrew Thomas

[rktman]

Elon Musk is the world’s greatest showman. His Tesla Roadster and a dummy astronaut blasts off on a super-giant rocket called Falcon Heavy, headed for Mars orbit with David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” blaring on the car radio. The astronaut is dubbed “Starman”, after another Bowie song. The words “Don’t Panic!” are on the dashboard.

Musk said that it took his team over three years to develop the space suit, because it not only had to be functional, it had to “look good”. To Musk, the spectacle is as important as the accomplishment. He understands that to be truly successful, you not only need to produce successful results, you need to excite people’s imaginations.

[rktman]

I kinda figured someone would have the Vette clip from "Heavy Metal". It's at the end of the piece. Gotta think Musk took some of the idea from the movie. Guy in suit in a roadster in space. Someone on his team saw Heavy Metal. As for deaths around the space program, I knew 4 suicides myself while there.

[Neidermeyer]

You’re reading my mind ,, should have been a 62 Vette ....

[rktman]

LOL! Yeah, should have but.................

[Neidermeyer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_KXgFpguE0

[Smittie]

Wasting a classic corvette would’ve been a crime. At least it was a car no one will miss...

[rktman]

I think I heard they’re looking for some headers and a dual quad manifold for the tesla. ;-)

[blackdog]

Did anyone think to send Matt Damon some more potatoes in the trunk?

[Duchess47]

I would love to be able to see the faces (?) of space aliens when they run into that.

[wally_bert]

Send a 70s Ford Cortina.

[Red Badger]

Alien ship captain: WTF???..................

[Drawsing]

That was something to see those two booster rockets landing side by side at the same time. Wow!

Too bad about the middle booster.

[Duchess47]

LOL, yep or “those people are crazy”

[txrefugee]

That photo from space with the red Tesla and “driver” orbiting in front of Earth was truly amazing. Wonder what the first NASA engineers thought when they saw that epic picture, as well as the incredibly perfect landing of the two side booster rockets returning to their launch pads after flawlessly accomplishing the launch? If we had real reporters, someone would have set up such an interview.

[aquila48]

Musk has a lot of fun doing what he does. He’s a kid in a sandbox totally immersed in having fun building his castles.

[HombreSecreto]

Or the ultimate space weapon - A Ford Pinto flying backwards, the feared Pinto Torpedo.

[rktman]

🤔🚀. Thinkin'' a lot of the "first NASA engineers" are already "up there". So, probably no comments. But they're probably liking it. We worked on some fly back booster tech years ago so watching them land sci-if like was purty durn cool.🇺🇸

[Daniel Ramsey]

Meanwhile over at NASA they are in a deep funk....they wanted to put a Pontiac Aztek into orbit.
But you know what this means?

America can do it, what would Russia or China have done?

Oh yeah right, Russia now wants to put a Zil limousine into space, China a giant stuffed Panda.

[wally_bert]

I’d say a Chevy Nova.

[Palio di Siena]

Tesla has never made a profit selling autos. All govt. subsidized with our money. Nothing but a con man in my book.
F Musk and his electric cars.

[rktman]

Sure a lot of folks working at the "giga factory" out east of Reno. Truck loads of gigs arrive daily. 🍿🍻🇺🇸😹