An amateur astronomer discovered SpaceX's 2018 Tesla Roadster, mistaking it for a new asteroid. Highlights Tesla Roadster misclassified as an asteroid by the Minor Planet Center Error underscores growing issues with space debris tracking Experts call for better regulations on tracking deep space objects Advertisement A near-Earth object recently classified as an asteroid has been identified as Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster, which was launched into space in 2018 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The object was mistakenly listed as a new near-Earth asteroid by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center (MPC) on January 2, before the classification was withdrawn within hours. The error, made by an amateur astronomer in Turkey using publicly available data, underscores growing concerns over the tracking of space debris and its impact on astronomical observations. Identification Error and Retraction According to astronomy.com, the object was initially recorded in the MPC's database under the designation 2018 CN41. The classification was based on historical tracking data, but after a review, the discovery was rescinded just 17 hours later. The astronomer who reported the object recognised the mistake upon further analysis. The Tesla Roadster was launched on February 6, 2018, as a test payload for SpaceX's Falcon Heavy's maiden flight. Positioned in the driver's seat was a mannequin named “Starman,” dressed in a prototype spacesuit. The car was intended to enter a stable orbit around Mars but instead settled into a heliocentric orbit, periodically passing near Earth and Mars.