▁mission ▁to ▁the ▁Earth – S un ▁ ▁L agr ang ian ▁point . ▁N ine ▁months ▁after ▁launch , ▁the ▁T es la ▁had ▁travel led ▁beyond ▁the ▁orbit ▁of ▁Mars , ▁reaching ▁a ph el ion ▁at ▁ 1 2 : 4 8 ▁UTC ▁on ▁November ▁ 9 , ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁at ▁a ▁distance ▁of ▁ ▁from ▁the ▁Sun . ▁The ▁maximum ▁speed ▁of ▁the ▁car ▁relative ▁to ▁the ▁Sun ▁will ▁be ▁ ▁at ▁peri hel ion . ▁ ▁Even ▁if ▁the ▁ro cket ▁had ▁target ed ▁an ▁actual ▁Mars ▁transfer ▁orbit , ▁the ▁car ▁could ▁not ▁have ▁been ▁placed ▁into ▁orbit ▁around ▁Mars , ▁because ▁the ▁upper ▁stage ▁that ▁car ries ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁the ▁necessary ▁prop ell ant , ▁man eu ver ing , ▁and ▁communic ations ▁capabilities . ▁This ▁flight ▁simply ▁demonstrated ▁that ▁Fal con ▁He avy ▁is ▁capable ▁of ▁launch ing ▁significant ▁pay loads ▁towards ▁Mars ▁in ▁potential ▁future ▁miss ions . ▁ ▁Cultural ▁impact ▁The ▁car ▁in ▁space ▁quickly ▁became ▁a ▁topic ▁for ▁Internet ▁mem es . ▁Western ▁Australia ▁Police ▁distributed ▁a ▁picture ▁of ▁a ▁rad ar ▁gun ▁aim ed ▁at ▁the ▁Road ster ▁whilst ▁above ▁Australia . ▁Š k oda ▁produced ▁a ▁par ody ▁video ▁of ▁a ▁Š k oda ▁Super b ▁being ▁driven ▁to ▁Mars ▁( a ▁village ▁in ▁central ▁France ). ▁An ▁attempt ▁was ▁made ▁by ▁Don ut ▁Media ▁to ▁launch ▁a ▁Hot ▁Whe els - s ized ▁T es la ▁Model ▁X ▁to ▁the ▁str