The Tesla Roadster became the first automobile launched into space when SpaceX sent one aboard a Falcon Heavy in 2018.
SpaceX launched the car on 6 February 2018 during Falcon Heavy’s demonstration flight. Elon Musk’s personal Roadster served as the payload, with a spacesuit-wearing mannequin named Starman positioned in the driver’s seat. Cameras transmitted images of the car against Earth and space during the flight.
The Roadster was placed on a heliocentric orbit that extends beyond the orbit of Mars, although it does not travel to Mars as a destination. The launch combined an engineering test with a highly visible promotional demonstration.
The vehicle was not a space-rated automobile and did not land on another world. It was a standard first-generation Tesla Roadster modified for attachment to the rocket, making its distinction different from spacecraft and lunar vehicles.