Celebrating SpaceX Falcon Heavy and the Tesla Roadster in Space: Seven Years Later | Taha Abbasi

The Day a Car Became the Most Famous Object in Space

Seven years ago, SpaceX launched its Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time, carrying an unlikely payload: Elon Musk’s personal midnight cherry Tesla Roadster with a spacesuit-clad mannequin named “Starman” behind the wheel. Taha Abbasi, a technology executive and applied frontier tech builder, reflects on what that audacious stunt told us about SpaceX — and what has changed since.

The Launch That Changed Everything

On February 6, 2018, Falcon Heavy lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center — the same pad that launched Apollo 11 to the Moon. The two side boosters returned to Cape Canaveral in a synchronized landing that remains one of the most visually stunning moments in spaceflight history. The Roadster was placed on a trajectory that took it past Mars orbit and into a heliocentric orbit around the Sun.

Taha Abbasi remembers watching the launch: “It was the moment SpaceX went from ‘impressive rocket company’ to ‘cultural phenomenon.’ Launching a car into space was technically unnecessary — any mass dummy would do. But it captured the world’s imagination in a way that a concrete block never could.”

Where Is the Roadster Now

As of early 2026, the Roadster and Starman have completed multiple orbits around the Sun, occasionally passing relatively close to Mars and Earth. The vehicle has been exposed to extreme ultraviolet radiation, cosmic rays, and temperature extremes for seven years. The paint has likely faded, the rubber components have degraded, and the car is essentially a piece of space debris — but the most culturally significant piece of space debris in history.

What Falcon Heavy Enabled

Since that first flight, Falcon Heavy has become an operational workhorse for heavy-lift missions. NASA’s Europa Clipper, USSF national security payloads, and major commercial satellites have all launched on Falcon Heavy. The vehicle’s ability to deliver over 60 metric tons to low Earth orbit (and meaningful mass to deep space) filled a capability gap that had existed since the Space Shuttle’s retirement.

Taha Abbasi notes the business impact: “Falcon Heavy created a new market segment. Missions that previously required either compromised orbits or foreign launch vehicles now had an American option. That changed procurement dynamics across the space industry.”

From Falcon Heavy to Starship

While Falcon Heavy remains operational, Starship represents the next generation. With roughly double the payload capacity at potentially lower cost (thanks to full reusability), Starship will eventually replace Falcon Heavy for most missions. But Falcon Heavy’s role as the bridge between Falcon 9 and Starship — proving that SpaceX could design, build, and operate a heavy-lift vehicle — was crucial for the company’s credibility.

The Legacy of a Stunt

Taha Abbasi argues that the Roadster launch’s most lasting impact wasn’t technical — it was inspirational. “An entire generation of engineers, scientists, and dreamers watched that launch and decided that space was worth pursuing. You can’t quantify inspiration, but SpaceX’s ability to recruit top talent, raise capital, and maintain public enthusiasm is partly traceable to that moment when a car floated above Earth to David Bowie’s music.”

Seven Years of Progress

In the seven years since the Roadster launch, SpaceX has landed over 300 boosters, deployed nearly 7,000 Starlink satellites, launched astronauts to the International Space Station, and is testing Starship for Moon and Mars missions. Taha Abbasi sees the trajectory as vindication: “The Roadster launch seemed like a stunt. Seven years later, it looks like a declaration of intent — and SpaceX has delivered on virtually every promise made since.”

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About the Author: Taha Abbasi is a technology executive, CTO, and applied frontier tech builder. Read more on Grokpedia | YouTube: The Brown Cowboy | tahaabbasi.com