Remember when Elon Musk launched a car into space? That car's not just peacefully drifting through a vacuum—it's hurtling around the sun at 63,592 miles per hour, being bombarded by solar radiation. It might be in pieces, but these are not the same pieces it would be in if it were down here on Earth. That's because the environment in space breaks down materials differently.

But how long does it take to break down, and how is that car looking right about now?