We have very different definitions of extended periods of time. Elon's talking about it orbiting for millions of years. It's definitely not going to hit anything anytime soon.
That is still a good bet to make, it's very hard to hit anything even if you spent considerable effort specifically trying to. Also, there wasn't an intended orbit as much as there was a general direction and an "empty the tank" burn.
Yeah I saw that in another comment further down the chain. With all the hype around the Mars shot I assumed the ability to accurately place the car in orbit was a worthwhile goal. Not being a rocket scientist I wasn't aware that just knowing how far the thing can go is equally (or more?) interesting.
