SpaceX and Tesla have a good bit of whimsy they apply to the serious work they do. The Falcon Heavy test launch needed test cargo—expendable cargo—so Elon Musk offered up his Tesla Roadster, the first ever production run Tesla car. The car was outfitted with a spacesuit from SpaceX with a driver nicknamed, “Starman”.
We talked about what happened today during bath time with the children and asked them if they’d like to see the launch before bedtime as they’d both missed it live. They did. My favorite part was watching the two boosters land perfectly on their pads within a second of each other, just like rocket ships have landed in countless science fiction movies.
After watching the launch replay, my husband brought up the live feed of the roadster in space with his passenger, on its way to Mars and then to be gravity boosted around towards the sun where it will orbit, the first car in space, for probably millions of years.
Images of the movie Heavy Metal run through my head as we looked the live feed of the roadster on the way to Mars and the message of “Don’t Panic!” written on the car’s screen makes me smile and think of, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It was a great day for technology and a fun thing to watch for my children.
The Big Boy Update: My son and I got on the phone with dad after school. My son wanted to place an order for dinner: “a lot of salmon, spinach, mushrooms and zucchini.” Yes, he wants to eat junk like most children, but he does like some healthy things.
The Tiny Girl Chronicles: My daughter heard my phone vibrate on the desk the other day (I keep it on silent). She said, “Mom, your phone's sizzling.”
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