Cars driving past the Kennedy Center in Washington witnessed an unexpected liftoff on Thursday, after a 30-foot-tall Mars balloon escaped its moorings and rolled from its place outside the arts center onto the highway. The planet famous for its rovers went roving itself, departing the Kennedy C enter’s REACH plaza and rolling east onto the roadway. The balloon is part of the Kennedy Center’s “Celestial Bodies: Earth, Moon, Mars” exhibit, which allows viewers to wander the grounds and examine inflatable models of the Earth, the Moon, and Mars. At night, the balloons are illuminated from within, making for a fun photo-op. After Thursday evening’s out-of-this world viral moment, the Mars balloon was quickly retrieved from the highway and returned to the Kennedy Center. Commenters on social media appreciated the balloon’s meteoric journey, with many cracking jokes about recent political events. “We understand Mars.. we feel the same way,” said one user. “Good for her,” said another. No balloon-related injuries were reported as a result of the incident. space Feb 25 Mars' red color suggests a watery past Inauguration Day Jan 20 Trump touts American ambition, sets sights on Mars This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less