In February 2018, when Falcon Heavy took off with Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster onboard, both SpaceX and Tesla were in very different places compared to today. Back then, there were doubts about the feasibility of Falcon Heavy, and Tesla was struggling with Model 3 production challenges.
At that time, Tesla’s market capitalization was around $55-60 billion, which many critics believed was already overvalued. On the other hand, SpaceX was known for taking risks that traditional aerospace companies avoided.
The launch of the Roadster was a bold move, with no paying payload or government satellite, just a car floating in space with David Bowie playing in the background. While some saw it as a stunt, for Musk and the SpaceX team, it was a statement about inspiring people.
Fast forward to today, Tesla is now 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 remarkable achievement. Tesla has also made significant advancements in autonomy, with vehicles capable of navigating complex environments using vision alone.
Additionally, the evolution of Optimus from a man in a suit to a humanoid robot program demonstrates Tesla’s expansion beyond just being a car company. Musk envisions these robots as potential Von Neumann machines, capable of building civilizations beyond Earth.
SpaceX’s journey has been equally impressive. The Falcon 9 has become a dominant force in the global launch industry, completing over 600 missions to date, with a high success rate in landing boosters. The company’s Starlink program now leads the satellite communications industry, offering broadband connectivity worldwide.
Moreover, Starship, Musk’s fully reusable launch system aimed at making humans multiplanetary, is actively being developed and flight-tested. This project is central to NASA’s plans for future lunar missions.
Looking back, the launch of the Tesla Roadster with Falcon Heavy was not just about a car in space; it symbolized SpaceX and Tesla’s willingness to dream big, take risks, and push boundaries. As the Roadster continues to orbit the Sun, the focus now is on how far these companies can go in shaping the future of space exploration and automotive technology.