Watch ‘Starman’ drift: SpaceX’s Tesla reaches the ultimate cruising altitude and rides off into space

Starman
SpaceX’s Starman, drifting in a Tesla Roadster, has an incredible view of Earth on Tuesday. (SpaceX Image via YouTube)

This might be the ultimate space oddity.

High above his home planet, where millions of people are no doubt sitting in traffic in cars of their own, “Starman” drifted effortlessly through a wide open expanse on Tuesday.

The mannequin in a spacesuit — launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket on Tuesday — sat in the driver’s seat of Elon Musk’s cherry red Tesla Roadster. With the top down, Starman drove off toward a deep-space orbit listening to David Bowie’s “Life on Mars.”

Starman
(SpaceX Image via YouTube)
Starman
(SpaceX Image via YouTube)

SpaceX beamed a live internet view of the unprecedented adventure via its YouTube feed, where more than 200,000 viewers were watching at one point.

Assorted camera angles captured views from inside the Roadster over Starman’s shoulder; from out in front of the hood looking back; and from off the driver’s side of the car looking back toward Starman.

Earth continuously moved into the frame to serve as a dramatic blue backdrop against an otherwise deep, black setting.

Clearly amused by his own stunt, Musk tweeted that “apparently, there is a car in orbit around Earth,” later adding that the Tesla was over Australia.

Watch the video below for as long as you can — Musk has said Starman and the Tesla could drift for “maybe in excess of a billion years.”

via GeekWire
Watch ‘Starman’ drift: SpaceX’s Tesla reaches the ultimate cruising altitude and rides off into space