Astronomers just deleted an asteroid because it turned out to be Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster

A Tesla mistaken for an asteroid reveals deep space tracking issues.

: Astronomers mistakenly identified Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster as an asteroid, underscoring transparency issues in space traffic management. The incident highlighted the lack of regulations for tracking objects in deep space, where many spacecraft operate unnoticed. Mishaps like this could lead to costly errors, emphasizing the need for a central tracking repository.

On January 2, the Minor Planet Center initially classified an object as an asteroid named 2018 CN41 due to its unusual orbit, only to retract it hours later upon realizing it was Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster launched in 2018. This mix-up sparked conversations among scientists about the growing issue of insufficient tracking and transparency of spacecraft in deep space, an area devoid of the regulation present in Earth's lower orbit.

Instances like this one expose the vulnerabilities in current tracking systems as more entities send missions further into space, increasing the likelihood of untracked objects causing misidentifications. Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell stressed the potential repercussions of such errors, including the waste of resources on misdirected probes and flawed asteroid threat assessments, calling for improved reporting and data sharing.

While citizen scientists also play a crucial role in these astronomical discoveries, the incident served as a reminder of the larger, systemic changes needed to ensure accurate cataloging, something the American Astronomical Society advocates for. The story ends with an optimistic note from H. A. Güler, the citizen scientist involved in this case, who remains enthusiastic about future locating efforts, hoping to identify real asteroids or other astronomical entities beyond misplaced vehicles.