GoKawiilTesla's new Roadster uses thruster tech resembling decades-old missile defense systems
Tesla's October 15 reveal of the updated Roadster showcased thruster-assisted jumps, flips and stabilization maneuvers powered by two high-pressure air tanks and ten nozzles. The company says the tanks can self-refill, but the full thruster system is limited to the top 'Rocket' trim, and Tesla states the thrusters are not approved for public road use. Similar thruster-based stabilization concepts have existed since the early 2000s in missile defense systems like Lockheed Martin's Multiple Kill Vehicle, developed under a 2004 Missile Defense Agency contract.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The comparison suggests that Tesla's headline-grabbing 'flying' feature draws on engineering principles long used in aerospace and defense rather than representing an entirely new innovation. Because the thrusters aren't street-legal, the feature may function more as a marketing spectacle than a practical capability for most buyers. This could raise questions about how such technology might eventually be regulated or adapted for consumer use.
- Tesla's Roadster uses compressed-air thrusters for jumps and flips, available only on the top 'Rocket' trim.
- Tesla states the thruster system is not approved for public road use.
- Similar thruster stabilization technology has existed since the early 2000s in missile defense systems like Lockheed Martin's Multiple Kill Vehicle.
Source: engadget.com — Ian Carlos Campbell, 2026-10-16
Published there as: “A 'flying' Tesla Roadster sounds impossible, until you see what Lockheed Martin built decades ago”
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