David Bowie asks “is there life on Mars?” The X-Files made alien conspiracies cool. Blink-182 frontman Tom Delonge started his own alien search organization. UFO sightings have even been confirmed legitimate by the Pentagon.

We’ve always been curious about life beyond Earth, which begs the question — why is this research that has existed for decades still considered so “fringe” while other areas of science are viewed as more normal and commonplace? The government has historically gone so far as to ban funding for this type of research and hide it from public knowledge.

It’s time to indulge in a little alien curiosity and explore what’s beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.