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.