atos phere ▁using ▁a ▁weather ▁bal lo on . ▁To S ky , ▁a ▁Si ber ian ▁start - up , ▁sent ▁a ▁scale ▁model ▁of ▁a ▁Soviet - era ▁L ada ▁carrying ▁a ▁man ne quin ▁of ▁Ros cos mos ▁head ▁D mit ry ▁Rog oz in ▁to ▁an ▁alt itude ▁of ▁ 2 0 ▁km ▁to ▁gather ▁test ▁data ▁for ▁the ▁design ▁of ▁strat ost ats . ▁ ▁Some ▁news ▁reports ▁observed ▁a ▁similarity ▁between ▁the ▁real ▁pictures ▁of ▁a ▁car ▁orbit ing ▁the ▁Earth ▁and ▁the ▁title ▁sequence ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁animation ▁film ▁He avy ▁Metal , ▁where ▁a ▁space ▁travel er ▁lands ▁on ▁Earth ▁in ▁a ▁two - se ater ▁Che v ro let ▁Cor v ette ▁convert ible . ▁ ▁The ▁Space X ▁launch ▁live ▁stream ▁reached ▁over ▁ 2 . 3 ▁million ▁concurrent ▁view ers ▁on ▁YouTube , ▁which ▁made ▁it ▁the ▁second ▁most ▁watched ▁live ▁event ▁on ▁the ▁platform , ▁behind ▁another ▁space - related ▁event : ▁Felix ▁Ba um gart ner ' s ▁jump ▁from ▁the ▁str atos phere ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁ ▁Re actions ▁ ▁The ▁choice ▁of ▁the ▁Road ster ▁as ▁a ▁dummy ▁payload ▁was ▁various ly ▁interpreted ▁as ▁a ▁sh rew d ▁market ing ▁move ▁for ▁T es la , ▁a ▁work ▁of ▁art , ▁or ▁a ▁contribution ▁to ▁space ▁de br is . ▁ ▁Mark eting ▁move ▁ ▁Mus k ▁was ▁la ud ed ▁as ▁a ▁vision ary ▁mark eter ▁and ▁brand ▁manager