Tesla’s new Roadster demonstrates a mid-air rotation

A sports car goes up the ramp. The car body seemed to flip over and the wheels left the ground. The video of the new Roadster released by Tesla deviates from the familiar scenes of introducing fast cars. A separate demonstration video was also released showing the body rotating over other vehicles.

The Roadster was unveiled on October 15 in the US, October 16 in Korea. Along with the event, Tesla posted official videos called ‘The Ramp’ and ‘The Kickflip’. From the title, the movement of the car body took precedence over the speed record.

Is this technology from returning rockets?

There is a link. Tesla said SpaceX has used thrusters to control spacecraft positioning, and that it developed new hardware and controls to apply that experience to a car. It also described carbon-fiber composite pressure vessels carrying compressed gas within the vehicle.

If you think of the entire rocket recovery process here, the difference disappears. Even when Falcon 9 returns, each device has a different role. Cold gas thrusters reverse the rocket's direction, and grid-like wings control its path through the atmosphere. The final descent speed is reduced and the main engine is turned on again during the landing phase.

The part connected to the roadster is a technology that pushes the body and controls the direction through the reaction of gas injection. This is not to say that the Falcon 9's main landing engine was attached to the bottom of the car. Tesla also emphasizes development tailored to new environments rather than simply porting the same device.

The force that sticks to the road and the force that rises

Fans that draw air from beneath the car to increase grip serve a different purpose from gas thrusters. The fans help keep the tires against the road; the thrusters add force directly to the vehicle body. Even when describing a car, the technology to attach it to the floor and the technology to get it off the floor appear together.

However, public demonstration does not mean routine flights. The report distinguishes between the Roadster's Performance, Thrust, and Rocket configurations, and introduces the Rocket, which emphasizes aerial movement, as an invitation-only single-seater. Actual road usage conditions and specifications of mass-produced vehicles must be confirmed separately from the scenes in the event.

Musk cited 2028 as the planned production year. Many questions remain before this can be treated as a flying car ready to buy and use on public roads. Still, one question introducing sports cars has changed. In addition to how fast it runs, the car has to explain what device controls the car body once the wheels leave the ground.

Tesla official demonstration video

The Kickflip | Roadster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5vsHHPVhJg

The Ramp | Roadster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p5LxFdc-Qg

official channel
https://www.youtube.com/@tesla