SpaceX CEO Elon Musk launched a Tesla Roadster into orbit around the sun on a Falcon Heavy rocket. Now the red sports car has been orbiting the sun for four years, and the cameras on the car have long stopped working. But what will happen to the Roadster that floats in outer space in four years? Experts believe that the Tesla Roadster will be affected by the space environment, with fasteners loosening, body paint and rubber materials aging and peeling off, and the resulting tiny debris floats around the car.
There are four major dangers in space, there is temperature … the effects of gravity … radiation, and pressure, said Professor Anthony Waas, chair of the Aerospace Engineering Program at the University of Michigan. All of these things will have different effects on the material of the car.
Voss is most concerned about the impact of temperature changes in space on the Tesla Roadster. The temperature in space varies considerably, from -101 degrees Celsius to 219 degrees Celsius, he explained. This extreme temperature change makes auto parts more susceptible to thermal expansion and contraction. It depends on how they’re combined, he continued, and the connections can come loose.
The Tesla Roadster chassis is primarily made of aluminum and the body is carbon fiber. It is unclear how the body is attached to the chassis, but it is likely that fasteners rather than adhesives are used. These fasteners are likely to loosen over time or break under repeated stress. Know that pressure fluctuations in outer space persist, and even resins like the ones that hold carbon fibers together expand and contract at rates different from the fibers themselves.
In addition, rapid temperature changes and solar radiation can also affect the paint on the surface of the car. Fluctuations in heat and cold can cause the paint to crack or peel off completely over time. It’s definitely going to cause the paint to crack, it’s definitely going to peel, Voss said. It’s likely that these tiny paint chips are just floating around the car rather than flying into space. If the paint comes off, it flies with the craft because there is no external force to separate it from each other.
It’s also unclear if the Tesla Roadster’s battery pack is still attached to the vehicle. Voss believes that if the battery pack is still with the car, it could be in various states, depending on which side is exposed to solar radiation. And most of the rubber on the car, such as tires, sealant strips, is likely to be dry and rotted, and the chipped pieces will float around the car like paint. “(Rubber) can withstand fairly high temperatures,” Voss said but is likely to crack and decompose. He also noted that similar changes may be made to the car’s leather upholstery.
As for the dummy Starman on the car, it may be in better condition. After all, Voss believes, the dummy is still wearing a spacesuit. The dummy may gradually change over time due to radiation, but it is designed to withstand extreme temperature changes and other harmful effects in space.
Voss concluded that any serious damage to the Tesla Roadster would have been caused by meteorites. However, how many times the electric sports car has been hit by meteorites, or whether it has been hit by meteorites, is all speculation. A sports car can be smashed to pieces, or it can be riddled with holes, or it can be nothing at all.
Voss explained that if the vehicle could be brought back to Earth, it would be a valuable resource. Scientists can use it to study how various materials change in the outer space environment, and everything from rubber tires to batteries is worth examining.