In February 2018, when Falcon Heavy took off with Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster on board, SpaceX and Tesla were in very different positions compared to where they are today. Back then, there were doubts about the feasibility of Falcon Heavy, while Tesla was struggling with Model 3 production challenges.
At that time, Tesla’s market capitalization was around $55-60 billion, a figure that many critics believed was already too high. On the other hand, SpaceX was known for taking risks that traditional aerospace companies avoided.
The launch of the Roadster was a bold move. Falcon Heavy’s inaugural mission did not carry any paying payload or government satellite; instead, it sent a car into space with David Bowie’s music playing in the background. While some saw it as a mere stunt, for Elon Musk and the SpaceX team, it was a statement about inspiring people and pushing boundaries.
Fast forward seven years, and the results speak for themselves. Today, Tesla is the most valuable automaker globally, with a market capitalization of approximately $1.54 trillion. The Model Y has become the best-selling car in the world for three consecutive years, a feat that seemed unimaginable back in 2018. Tesla has also made significant advancements in autonomous driving, with vehicles now capable of navigating complex environments using vision alone.
Furthermore, Tesla’s exploration into robotics has led to the development of Optimus, a humanoid robot program that Musk envisions as potential Von Neumann machines. This evolution positions Tesla not just as a car company but as a key player in AI, robotics, and manufacturing.
SpaceX’s journey has been equally remarkable. The Falcon 9 has become a staple in the global launch industry, completing over 600 missions to date. SpaceX has successfully landed a Falcon booster more than 560 times, and the Falcon 9 flies more frequently than all other active launch vehicles combined.
Additionally, SpaceX’s Starlink project, initially met with skepticism, now dominates the satellite communications industry, providing broadband connectivity worldwide. With a valuation of around $1.25 trillion following its merger with xAI, SpaceX is expected to pursue a groundbreaking IPO in the near future.
Elon Musk’s vision for Starship, a fully reusable launch system aimed at making humans multiplanetary, has also made significant progress since 2018. The development of Starship is actively ongoing, with public flight tests and a central role in NASA’s lunar exploration plans.
Looking back, the launch of the Roadster in Falcon Heavy was more than just a car in space. It symbolized SpaceX and Tesla’s willingness to dream big, take risks, and push the boundaries of what is possible.
As the Roadster continues to orbit the Sun, the question now is not whether these ventures will succeed but how far they will go in shaping the future of space exploration and automotive innovation.