The Tesla Roadster has been flying in space for 5 years - it has travelled over 4 billion kilometres, circled the Sun 3.5 times and is now in orbit around Mars

Today, 7 February, marks the fifth anniversary of the launch of Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster electric car into space. It has already made it to Mars orbit.

Here's What We Know

On 7 February 2018, after problems due to strong winds, SpaceX was still able to launch a Falcon Heavy rocket into space, "armed" with a dark cherry-coloured Tesla Roadster electric car. At the wheel of the electric car was a mannequin in a spacesuit. The suit was designed by SpaceX.

For 5 years Tesla Roadster managed to orbit around the Sun 3,5 times and in total over 4 billion km. Now the electric car is orbiting Mars (on the opposite side) at a distance of 327 km from our planet.

However, everything we've written about is just scientists' calculations. As of 2018, the machine has stopped communicating. It is possible that it no longer exists. But if the Tesla Roadster survives, it will come close to Earth in 2047. There is a 22% chance of collision with our planet in the next 15 million years, with Venus and the Sun at 12% each.