• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026

2

'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream

3

Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI

1

Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026

2

'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream

3

Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
TechSpaceX

Elon Musk’s Tesla Missed Mars Orbit After Successful Falcon Heavy Launch

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 7, 2018, 1:05 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Elon Musk has encountered a glitch in his plan to send a red Tesla Roadster into orbit around Mars after a successful launch aboard the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

Musk tweeted late on Tuesday that the rocket carrying his Tesla exceeded its target and is now on its way to an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. He included a map showing where the car was supposed to end up and where it’s actually headed—near the orbit of the dwarf planet Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

Musk’s announcement came hours after the successful launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Cape Canaveral, Fla. The rocket, which is the world’s largest and capable of carrying more than 140,000 pounds of cargo, is ferrying the Tesla and its passenger, a mannequin SpaceX calls Starman. The launch, the first test of the Falcon Heavy rocket, is intended to pave the way for future SpaceX missions.

Third burn successful. Exceeded Mars orbit and kept going to the Asteroid Belt. pic.twitter.com/bKhRN73WHF

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2018

The fate of Starman and the Tesla is unclear. The capsule could remain in an orbit around the asteroid belt, be demolished by an asteroid, or continue into deep space. Musk has posted no further updates since his tweet last night.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’
SuccessThe Interview Playbook
Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 18, 2026
1 hour ago
Rbotic arm is gripping a CPU inside of a circuit board factory.
InnovationEurope's Most Innovative Companies
Inside Europe’s most innovative companies
By Sam BirchallJune 18, 2026
4 hours ago
kw
EconomyFederal Reserve
Kevin Warsh showed that he’s decisively not Trump’s ‘sock puppet’—and markets didn’t like it
By Eva RoytburgJune 17, 2026
9 hours ago
Apple prepares second-generation iPhone Air for spring 2027
Big TechApple
Apple prepares second-generation iPhone Air for spring 2027
By Mark Gurman and BloombergJune 17, 2026
11 hours ago
World Cup, America 250 face new risk with spy law lapse
CybersecurityWorld Cup
World Cup, America 250 face new risk with spy law lapse
By Caitlin Reilly, Roxana Tiron and BloombergJune 17, 2026
12 hours ago
PayPal mafia member and ex–Sequoia steward Roelof Botha joins SpaceX board—reuniting with Elon Musk after decades
Startups & VentureSpaceX
PayPal mafia member and ex–Sequoia steward Roelof Botha joins SpaceX board—reuniting with Elon Musk after decades
By Allie GarfinkleJune 17, 2026
12 hours ago

Most Popular

Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 17, 2026
19 hours ago
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
Success
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
By Nick LichtenbergJune 16, 2026
2 days ago
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Big Tech
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
By Tristan BoveJune 15, 2026
3 days ago
Exclusive: Universal beat Disney as Hollywood's maker of the most expensive movie of all time 
Arts & Entertainment
Exclusive: Universal beat Disney as Hollywood's maker of the most expensive movie of all time 
By Christian SyltJune 17, 2026
21 hours ago
The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families
Economy
The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families
By Jacqueline MunisJune 17, 2026
12 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Wednesday, June 17, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 17, 2026
19 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.