New Tesla Roadster Will Be Able to Fly

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Elon Musk confirms that the new Tesla Roadster can fly.

Spaceviews made an analysis of cold gas thrusters. Elon has previously said the roadster will use a SpaceX cold gas thruster system with ultra-high-pressure air in a composite over-wrapped pressure vessel in place of the 2 rear seats. The SpaceX option package for new Tesla Roadster will include ~10 small rocket thrusters arranged seamlessly around car. These rocket engines dramatically improve acceleration, top speed, braking & cornering. Maybe they will even allow a Tesla to fly

SpaceX cold gas thrusters will need to emit very roughly 28 Kg of compressed air every second to keep our Roadster hovering.

How much air the COPV might hold ? A COPV with hemispherical ends of very roughly 2.0 meters x 1.0 meter should fit. That would conveniently have a volume of a bit more than one cubic meter. In 2021, Elon has said around 10,000 PSI. Air at a pressure of 10,000 PSI has a density of at least 500 Kg per cubic meter (depending on temperature). This sounds a lot, but is around a quarter of the mass of the whole car, so it seems feasible. This would enable a hovering time of about 20 seconds.

11 thoughts on “New Tesla Roadster Will Be Able to Fly”

  1. So I guess someone watched Knight Rider a bit too much and decided the ‘boost’ jump option was cool and necessary?

    It might very well be, if it’s one of the options on self driving for avoiding an impending collision, but I imagine it might cause other problems too, if it’s triggered a will by people showing off or thinking too much of their driving/limited flying abilities.

  2. “This would enable a hovering time of about 20 seconds.

    “So “flying” would likely be a misnomer. Of course the 2.0 model etc would probably greatly increase that.

    • But imagine – you’re racing to a jump ramp at 200 mph, you leap, engage the thrusters, and you are in the air for 10 seconds (from the jump) plus 20 seconds (from the thrusters) – giving you 30 seconds in the air, with a forward velocity of 200 mph – so you just jumped 1.7 miles. That would be AWESOME! Granted, you’d have to reserve some of the thruster power to soften the landing, but still…

    • Oh, no, probably not. … The jet-like lift is apparently entirely entrained gas, so the supply (and of course the vehicle weight-with-passengers) is the limit. And it is going to be NOISY to boot. Very noisy. So… how much 25,000 PSI gas you wanna carry around?

      • Potentially very useful for avoiding otherwise fatal accidents under automatic control. Another car runs a red light in front of you, and your Tesla hops over it instead of t-boning it. Plenty of similar scenarios.

        • Yep. Anyone thinking it’s useless should review the excellent 1960s documentary Speed Racer. I watched a lot of it as a kid and if I ever get one of these roadsters, it’s gonna be white with a big red five on the side.

        • Yes, I see the positive potential for the vehicle to go all Dukes of Hazard General Lee and jump the obstruction of doom, leaping tall buildings and pockets of offending traffic in a single bound, and then smashing into the same after clearing the initial maelstrom. Don’t do drugs kids, these are the stupid ideas your damaged brain will come up with. End public service announcement.

          • the thrusters could brake and lift at the same time

            depositing you gently in a clear, safe area

            has to be a lot easier than landing an orbital booster

            anyways it’s almost 4:20 🙂

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