Astronomers have discovered a new asteroid, only to find it was actually Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster launched into space years ago by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The wannabe asteroid, announced on January 2 as 2018 CN41, turned out to be a misidentification, and the Minor Planet Center has retracted its claim.
This is not an isolated case, according to astronomer Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian center. It’s a common problem caused by a lack of transparency in spacecraft operations from commercial and government providers. The issue highlights the need for better tracking systems and communication between space agencies and companies.
McDowell cited NASA’s Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) as an example, which was misidentified as an asteroid due to its maneuverability. Astronomers have also expressed concerns about commercial companies like AstroForge keeping their spacecraft locations secret, making it difficult for scientists to track them accurately.
The lack of transparency in space operations can lead to confusion and potentially hazardous situations, such as misidentifying a human-built spacecraft as an asteroid. This could impact astronomers’ search for potentially dangerous asteroids and the development of space situational awareness.
McDowell emphasized the importance of establishing standardized tracking systems and protocols to prevent such mistakes in the future. A database like NASA’s Horizons System, which tracks data for satellites, defunct spacecraft, and rocket stages, is a good example of what could help mitigate this issue.
Source: https://www.space.com/the-universe/asteroids/when-is-an-asteroid-not-an-asteroid-when-its-elon-musks-tesla-roadster-it-turns-out