Elon Musk wants to put SpaceX rocket thrusters on the Tesla Roadster

Elon Musk has claimed on Twitter that there will be a “SpaceX option package” for the upcoming Tesla Roadster that will include rocket thrusters to enhance the car’s performance, and even allow it to fly.

No, really.

Tesla executives have neither confirmed nor denied the Tesla CEO’s ludicrous suggestion, so we actually don’t know how to take it. On one hand, it seems completely absurd; on the other hand, Musk followed through on his flamethrower idea – so we can’t write this one off.

Musk said the car will feature 10 small rocket thrusters that would “dramatically improve” the vehicle’s acceleration, braking and, of course, they could possibly even “allow a Tesla to fly”.

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 …

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2018

So maybe the flying part is a joke. After all, it wouldn’t surprise us to see Musk leading everyone on given his distaste for “fake news”.

Going to create a site where the public can rate the core truth of any article & track the credibility score over time of each journalist, editor & publication. Thinking of calling it Pravda …

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 23, 2018

But let’s assume for a moment that he’s being serious.

In a follow-up tweet, Musk said the enhanced Roadster would use COPVs (Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels) which are currently used on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to steer the rocket in space.

Note, gas contained would be ultra high pressure air in a SpaceX rocket COPV bottle. The air exiting the thrusters would immediately be replenished whenever vehicle pack power draw allowed operation of the air pump, which is most of the time.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2018

Using the config you describe, plus an electric pump to replenish air in COPV, when car power draw drops below max pack power output, makes sense. But we are going to go a lot further.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2018

If we stretch it for a bit, it just might be possible that the thrusters could make the vehicle hover for short periods of time, like we already can with the aid of a jetpack.

Not to shoot the dream out of the sky or anything, but I think it’s a good opportunity to remember that time one of SpaceX COPV’s on the Falcon 9 exploded in 2016.

The new Tesla Roadster was revealed in late 2017 and is expected to hit the roads in 2020 for a base price of $200,000. That’s without the “SpaceX option package”.

Via Fortune

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