SpaceX just launched a Tesla and its space-suited mannequin pilot appropriately named “Starman” into orbit around the sun. They’re off first to visit Mars and then on their way to cruise the solar system. To me, this image of a starman in a Tesla roadster cruising through outer space is reminiscent of the old Hitachi-Maxell advertisement featuring a 1978 photograph by Steven Steigman. 
Anyone over the age of 40 should remember the guy with glasses being blasted back in his chair by the good vibrations. The photo eventually became known as the “Blown-away Man.”
I think SpaceX and Tesla just gave the world a new hi-tech cultural icon. I wonder what they’ll call this Starman and his Tesla, and more importantly, how long will it be before real humans follow in their own vehicles?
