It came within 0.05 astronomical units equivalent to five million miles from the planet. The Tesla Roadstar’s inaugural flight in 2018 was launched into space by SpaceX’s Falcon heavy rocket.

Sitting in the car is Starman, a standard dressed as an astronaut.

SpaceX said on Twitter: “Starman, last seen leaving Earth, launched its first intimate approach today, Tuesday – within 0.05 astronomical units or 5 million miles of the Red Planet.”

A website that tracks Starman’s Tesla, ‘Where is the Roadster?’, Records the car about 38 million miles from Earth.

The car could travel 250 million miles from our planet for a billion years.

When Roadster was launched, highly symbolic music was playing in both Starman’s ears.

On ‘Where’s the roadster?’ It says: “If the battery was still working, Starman has heard Space Audi 264,803 times since launching in one ear, and there’s Life on Mars? 356,811 times in his other ear. “

“Stupid and funny things are important,” Mr Kasturi said, justifying his decision to set the car on fire in space.

He further argued that stunts would raise public awareness about SpantX’s work.

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In 2018, before his first test flight, Mr Kasturi said: “If we succeed, it’s over for other operators of heavy-lift rockets.

“It is a reusable aircraft of an airline and all the other airlines had aircraft that were single-use and you arrange the parachute at your destination and the aircraft will crash somewhere.

“It sounds crazy, that’s how the rocket business works.”

Mr. Kasturi has repeatedly stated his ambition to take humans to Mars.

According to Robert Zubrin, founder of the Mars Society, we could see “people on Mars before the end of this decade.”

Speaking to Express.com Week, he said: “Contrary to Tuesday’s successful robotics program, the humanitarian programs of government space agencies have come to a standstill.

“The failure of the government-led manned spaceflight program led to the emergence of a new force and the most emphatic example given by enterprises through SpaceX is that it has now been proven that a relatively small under-led entrepreneurial group could be thought of only as strong. Governments can do it.

“As a result you not only develop the ultimate impressive SpaceX capabilities but they have embarked on an enterprising space race. This is the power of free enterprise and I’m sure we’re going to see a lot more of it.

“I’m sure we can see a Chinese equivalent of SpaceX and many more countries.

“Elon Musk is serious about going to Mars. A month ago I met Kastur and I saw what he was doing. “