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Elon Musk is flirting with Mars on Twitter and it's weird

Mars is sending hot pics to the SpaceX founder.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
2 min read

We already know Elon Musk has a thing for Mars. He's pushing the under-construction SpaceX Starship as the way to get humans to the Red Planet. It seems like Mars might be crushing right back after a strange and suggestive Twitter exchange Friday.

An anonymous Twitter account named Mars (with the handle @4thFromOurStar) tweeted a message saying it wants only Elon to move to Mars, implying no other humans will do. Musk replied to the planet with, "I want you too baby."

Mars asked when Musk was coming over. He dropped a classic, but not classy, internet flirtation line: "Send me hot pics and I'll be right over."

So Mars did, tweeting a kissy face emoji with a perspective view of Gale Crater and Mount Sharp culled from the Science Photo Library. NASA's Curiosity rover is currently exploring the crater.

Yes, this exchange has descended into the sort of thing 13-year-olds giggle about. 

Musk dropped one more flirty message, with what seems to be a reference to a questionable internet challenge that takes place in November. You'll have to research that one yourself if you really want to know.

Mars seems to be a humorous novelty account, dropping jokes about looking cute in a selfie and getting turned down for a date by Earth. CNET dropped Mars a message to ask about the account's background. The person behind Mars says, "I'm only a simple university student."

Mars might be waiting a long time for Musk to show up. SpaceX is working on an initial test prototype of Starship and has been firing the Raptor rocket engine designed to take the spaceship into orbit and beyond. 

It might break Mars' heart to learn SpaceX plans to go visit the moon first, and even that's not scheduled until 2023. Here's hoping the Red Planet isn't the jealous type.

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