When SpaceX launched a Telsa into space, the "mission" had no scientific value. There were no instruments on-board sending back data. There wasn't even a destination, it was car-shaped space junk flung haphazardly into the void.
Nothing but a publicity stunt to inflate Telsa's stock and make Musk even richer. So it sure would be a shame if everyone helped make Telsa a radioactive brand, and Musk had to default on any loans collateralized by its stock value.
Today, Telsa is his Achilles heel.