Tesla Autopilot Saves Couple After Suspected Meteorite Strike in Australia: First-Ever Moving Vehicle Impact?

Experts are investigating multiple possibilities, including potential space debris impact.

A couple from South Australia recently experienced what they describe as a miraculous escape when their newly purchased Tesla was struck by what may have been a meteorite. According to Science Alert, Andrew Melville-Smith and his wife Jo were driving back from an Adelaide dealership when something suddenly hit their windshield, causing smoke to fill the interior of the vehicle.

The Tesla's Autopilot feature remained operational during the incident, allowing the vehicle to continue driving normally despite the impact. Melville-Smith believes this technology might have saved their lives, as the car maintained its course despite the chaos occurring inside.

"I thought we'd crashed, it was that loud, it was that violent, it was totally unexpected," Melville-Smith told ABC. "The car was driving along and unconcerned... it wasn't aware of the chaos that was going on in the cabin."

He described how the object struck the windshield with tremendous force, causing the glass to partially melt and develop cracks radiating from the point of impact. The incident was reported to the South Australian Museum, which has initiated an investigation to identify the mysterious object.

South Australian Museum personnel have collected samples from the Tesla Model Y's windscreen to analyze the suspected meteorite impact. The incident has also highlighted the safety benefits of autonomous driving technology in unexpected situations.

Dr. Kieran Meaney, the museum's mineralogy assistant collection manager, initially considered a meteorite strike highly improbable due to the statistical unlikelihood of hitting a moving target. However, after examining the damage, certain characteristics led him to consider this might be an exceptional case.

"The really unusual thing is that the glass of his windscreen has actually melted a little bit; there was a lot of heat in whatever hit the windscreen; that's the key thing I can't find a good explanation for. It may be the case once we investigate further, we find out it's something different, but at the moment that's the theory we are working with," explained Dr. Meaney.

If confirmed, this incident could represent the first documented case of a meteorite striking a moving vehicle. Should the samples match meteorite material, the museum will likely conduct a more extensive search of the area for additional fragments.

Researchers are also exploring alternative explanations, including space debris or an object dropped from an aircraft overhead. Additional investigation is required to determine the object's actual origin. Professor Jonti Horner, an astrophysicist, expressed doubt about the meteorite theory, noting the absence of reported fireballs in the sky, which typically would be visible across a substantial area shortly before impact. He mentioned that while small meteorite falls are common in Australia, there have been cases of meteorites hitting stationary vehicles in other countries.

Scientists estimate approximately 5,200 tons of extraterrestrial material, primarily microscopic dust particles, enters Earth's atmosphere annually, with most incidents going undetected.