▁of ▁something ▁new ▁happening ▁in ▁space " ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁larger ▁vision ▁for ▁spread ing ▁human ity ▁to ▁other ▁plan ets . ▁ ▁Background ▁▁ ▁In ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁Space X ' s ▁founder , ▁El on ▁Mus k , ▁said ▁that ▁because ▁the ▁launch ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁Fal con ▁He avy ▁vehicle ▁was ▁ris ky , ▁it ▁would ▁carry ▁the ▁" s ill iest ▁thing ▁we ▁can ▁imagine ". ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁Twitter ▁follow ers ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁silly ▁thing ▁be ▁a ▁T es la ▁Model ▁S , ▁to ▁which ▁Mus k ▁replied ▁" S ugg estions ▁welcome ! ". ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁he ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁payload ▁would ▁be ▁his ▁personal ▁" mid night ▁cher ry ▁T es la ▁Road ster ". ▁Later ▁that ▁month , ▁photos ▁of ▁the ▁car ▁prior ▁to ▁payload ▁enc aps ulation ▁were ▁released . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁test ▁flight ▁object ives ▁was ▁to ▁demonstrate ▁that ▁the ▁new ▁ro cket ▁could ▁carry ▁a ▁payload ▁as ▁far ▁as ▁the ▁orbit ▁of ▁Mars . ▁NASA ▁had ▁decl ined ▁Space X ' s ▁offer ▁to ▁carry ▁a ▁scientific ▁payload . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁successful ▁launch , ▁the ▁Road ster ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁standard ▁road worth y ▁vehicle ▁sent ▁into ▁space , ▁though ▁several ▁special - pur pose ▁lun ar ▁and ▁Mars ▁ro vers ▁had ▁previously ▁been ▁launched . ▁ ▁Road ster ▁as ▁payload ▁▁▁ ▁The ▁car ▁was ▁perman ently ▁mounted ▁on ▁the