h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

probably

Valid question at least

Just watched Elon Musk's Falcon Heavy rocket lift off video on the BBC news site and was pleased to notice the car as payload and on the dashboard was "DONT PANIC" in large letters...... Need I say any more Carry a towel

http://www.facebook.com/groups/Galactic.Hitchhikers/

The story has been discussed at great length several places. This is one:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1430533160389870&set=gm.1703695053021294&type=3&theater&ifg=1

By the way: There is a towel in the glovebox

... and apparently also a copy of h2g2

http://www.spacex.com/webcast

Which volume, though? The first Douglas Adams, or our recent book about space?

The only thing that worries me about the Tesla in space thingy, is it's something else cluttering up space, great idea though but what does it tell the odd extresstial about us?! Now if you put a Bar in space......... a local pub type thingy, much more useful

A bottle of could become well aged up there

Space clutter is definitely an issue, but this Roadster's orbit shouldn't be a problem. The clutter issue is about Low Earth Orbit, up to a few hundred miles/kilometers. That's where it's crowded. The Tesla was aiming for an orbit from near Earth's orbit at perigee extending out to near Mars orbit at apogee. But the boost they gave it now puts it out near the asteroids at apogee. I'm not sure why that happened, if it was a mistake or if they just decided that it didn't really matter that much and just let the booster give it all it had rather than shutting it down for a precise trajectory. The only issue we might have is if the Tesla returns home. It does qualify as a Near Earth Object since it's final orbit will cross Earths (I could be mistaken about this). Something that size would quickly break up on reentry and mostly burn up. It would be travelling much faster than Columbia was when it reentered the atmosphere so I believe that means less likelihood any significantly large pieces would reach the ground. And the likelihood it ever would intercept the Earth is negligible.

This grumpy old geezer still thinks it should have been a Ford Prefect

They tried it with a Reliant Robin. It didn't go so well.

http://youtu.be/pJdrlWR-yFM

Now, what are the odds that someone on an asteroid might have access to electricity when the Tesla lands on the asteroid?

Actually, the Tesla would be useless for *two* reasons:

1. little chance of electricity to make it go
2. Asteroids are generally small enough that there won't be much of anywhere to go even if you *do* have a functioning car.

The Tesla will be useless quite soon because it will be ravaged by radiation. Since so much of it is made of carbon compounds (like the carbon fiber body) and delicate circuitry, it is especially susceptible to radiation.

I hope the in the glovebox will protect the man

I'm sure it will. Earth's towels are rugged, having been tested by lumberjacks, auto mechanics, and kids who play in the mud all day.

Can't wait for the next lunch......

global warming ? they never said anything about constant bloody rain

Yea they did. One of the effects of global warming we can expect more of is both increased regional flooding and increased regional drought.

On the otherhand it could just be the planets method of removing destructive paraites.

"Global warming? they never said anything about constant bloody rain " [prof animal chaos]

Yes, but is your rain warmer than it used to be?