23 Dec, 2017 09:38

Tesla Roadster is prepped for SpaceX mission take-off at Cape Canaveral (PHOTO)

SpaceX entrepreneur Elon Musk has revealed the first image of the Tesla sports car which his company will rocket to the red planet.

The brains and capital behind the Falcon 9 reusable rocket, Musk earlier this month announced his plans to launch a Tesla Roadster - playing a David Bowie tune on a loop - into deep space.

Now the midnight cherry colored vehicle is busy being prepped for the incredible journey, which aims to place it into Mars’ orbit for around one billion years. That is, if the roadster doesn’t explode on the way, Musk admitted.

Payload will be my midnight cherry Tesla Roadster playing Space Oddity. Destination is Mars orbit. Will be in deep space for a billion years or so if it doesn’t blow up on ascent.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 2, 2017

And the PayPal co-founder would know a thing or two about blowing things up, given his SpaceX rockets have been involved in some impressive explosions during test flights.

During his pursuit of operating regular missions to Mars, Musk appears to ready to spice up tests for the new Falcon Heavy Rocket by incorporating his beloved Tesla model. An image taken at Cape Canaveral of the Falcon Heavy shows the sporty Tesla nestled in the payload cap of the 27 engine rocket.

A Red Car for the Red Planet Test flights of new rockets usually contain mass simulators in the form of concrete or steel blocks. That seemed extremely boring. Of course, anything boring is terrible, especially companies, so we decided to send something unusual, something that made us feel. The payload will be an original Tesla Roadster, playing Space Oddity, on a billion year elliptic Mars orbit.
A post shared by Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on Dec 22, 2017 at 10:47am PST

“Test flights of new rockets usually contain mass simulators in the form of concrete or steel blocks. That seemed extremely boring. Of course, anything boring is terrible, especially companies, so we decided to send something unusual, something that made us feel,” Musk said, while unleashing the big reveal on Instagram.

“The payload will be an original Tesla Roadster, playing Space Oddity, on a billion year elliptic Mars orbit.”

The Falcon Heavy has yet to be launched. However, SpaceX has high hopes the rocket will herald in a new era of human space exploration. Musk tweeted on Saturday that the highly anticipated rocket will be given its first trial run next month.

If you liked tonight’s launch, you will really like Falcon Heavy next month: 3 rocket cores & 3X thrust. 2 cores return to base doing synchronized aerobatics. 3rd lands on droneship.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 23, 2017