The Tesla Roadster was suppose to be put on a path around the Sun that would take the vehicle out to the distance of Mars’ orbit.
However the powerful rocket overshot the trajectory and sent the Roadster beyond the Red Planet’s path.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk initially thought the car had been sent out to the asteroid belt, however this was later clarified not to be the case.
The car was meant to be circling the Sun at the distance of the Mars orbit, but it now seems to be in an orbit between Mars and Jupiter.
Where is the Tesler roadster right now?
The Tesla Roadster is heading for its orbit around the Sun. Its path will take it as far away as Mars, and later, as close to the Sun as the Earth.
Its current position according to ‘whereisroadster.com’ is 1,283,749 miles (2,066,022km) from Earth, moving away from Earth at a speed of 6,864 miles/hour (11,047 km/hour).
The car is 142,962,715 miles (230,076,042 km) from Mars, moving toward the planet at a speed of 43,889 miles/hour (70,633 km/hour).
The Roadster exceeded its 36,000 mile warranty 239 times while driving around the Sun – equivalent to 8,602,848 miles (13,845,319 km) moving at a speed of 55,600 miles/hour (89,479 km/hour).
The car will be at its furthermost point from Earth on February 22 2019 when it will be 2.446 AU (astronomical unit) away.
One astronomical unit is the approximate mean distance between the Earth and Sun.
The car will reach its closest approach to the Sun on August 10 2019 at a distance of 0.983 AU.
How far is the Tesler roadster from Mars?
The closest approach to the red planet Mars in the next orbit will occur on June 9 2018 when it will be approximately 0.740 AU away.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk initially tweeted on Tuesday the Roadster had “exceeded Mars orbit and kept going to the Asteroid Belt.”
However the car will not make it to the asteroid belt, instead the rocket carrying the car overshot the trajectory and put the Tesla on an orbit that extends beyond the Red Planet’s path.
Mr Musk said the final engine burn worked a little too well and put the car on its final orbit.
A revised orbit was sent to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Wednesday which shows the car will travel farther out than the orbit of Mars.
Within the next decade, the Roadster will make its closest approach to Mars in October 2020, coming within 4.3 million miles, according to Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at Harvard and spaceflight expert.