---
title: "To Mock Elon Musk, Russia Just Launched a Toy Car Into Space"
description: "In an apparent dig at Elon Musk, Russia sent a tiny toy car with a cutout of Roscosmos' Dmitry Rogozin in the driver's seat into space."
date: "2019-06-14"
modified: "2019-06-14"
authors:
  - name: "Kristin Houser"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kristin"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-russia-launched-toy-car-space"
categories:
  - "Elon Musk"
  - "Future Society"
  - "Off-World"
  - "Space"
  - "The Industrialists"
tags:
  - "dmitry rogozin"
  - "elon musk"
  - "Roscosmos"
  - "SpaceX"
  - "the digest"
---

# To Mock Elon Musk, Russia Just Launched a Toy Car Into Space

![In an apparent dig at Elon Musk, scientists from Russia sent a tiny toy car with a cutout of Roscosmos' Dmitry Rogozin in the driver's seat into space.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/russia-elon-musk-launched-toy-car-space.png>)
*\<em\>Image: ToSky Project\</em\>*

## Comic Timing

In February 2018, SpaceX launched its Falcon Heavy for the first time — and at the behest of CEO Elon Musk, the massive rocket's payload was a [cherry-red Tesla Roadster](<https://futurism.com/worst-case-scenario-space-roadster>).

It appears that the stunt made a lasting impression on a team of Russian scientists, who've now responded by sending their [own red car into space](<https://www.inverse.com/article/56733-russia-launches-red-car-into-space>) — but the details of their project make it seem more like a mockery of Musk than an homage.

https://youtu.be/wYx8L74XL7s

## Russian Ridicule

While SpaceX sent a full-sized car into orbit with a mannequin it dubbed "Starman" behind the wheel, the team from the Tomsk State University used a toy car for their mission.

And not just any toy car, either.

It was a replica of the red Zhiguli owned by Dmitry Rogozin, who serves as the director-general of Russia's Roscosmos space agency — when he isn't [trash-talking](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/russian-space-chief-hire-elon-musk>) Musk.

## Space Shade

As if the car itself weren't enough tea, the scientists even put a tiny cutout of a smiling Rogozin in the driver's seat before an automatic stratosat sent it 150 kilometers (93 miles) into the atmosphere, [according to *The Moscow Times*](<https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/06/13/russian-scientists-send-officials-effigy-into-space-toy-car-mimicking-spacex-launch-a65994>).

Unlike Starman, however, the Rogozin replica has returned to Earth — the car landed an estimated 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) away from the launch site after about 16 hours of flight.

**READ MORE:** [SpaceX's 'Starman' Gets a Friend as Russia Launches Toy Car Into Space](<https://www.inverse.com/article/56733-russia-launches-red-car-into-space>) \[*Inverse*\]

**More on Starman:** *[Worst Case Scenarios: What Could Happen to Elon Musk’s Space Roadster?](<https://futurism.com/worst-case-scenario-space-roadster>)*

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinjhouser>)