The president and Elon Musk still agree on Mars. Our close neighbor has captured the imagination of Americans for over a century.

This episode was made in collaboration with Vox’s Future Perfect. It was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Jolie Myers, fact checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.

Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast.

Pete Davidson during the Saturday Night Live "Chad on Mars" sketch. Photo by Rosalind O'Connor/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images.

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