CANCUN, WHILE HIS CONSTITUENTS SHIVERED IN THE BITTER COLD.

WHY HE'S NOW CALLING THE TRIP A MISTAKE.

AND N.A.S.A. MAKES HISTORY WITH ITS NEWEST MARS MISSION.

>> THE S PORT B HAS SHUT DOWN.

AND PERSEVERANCE BEGINS ITS DESCENT TO THE SURFACE OF MARS.

>> HOUSTON -- WHO'S THAT?

I'M TED CRUZ, AND I'M GOING TO MARS.

>> SHOULDN'T YOU BE HELPING YOUR STATE GET ITS POWER BACK ON?

>> LEAVING WHEN SO MANY TEXANS WERE HURTING, I TOOK THE FIRST

FLIGHT I COULD GET.

>> WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO MOST MISS DOING ON EARTH?

>> FAILING TEXANS, MASSIVELY.

BUT WHY ARE YOU GOING TO MARS?

>> I -- WANT -- TO BE -- ON VACATION -- SOMEWHERE WARMER.

>> MARS HAS AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF NEGATIVE

80 DEGREES.

>> IT WAS A OBVIOUSLY MISTAKE.

IN HINDSIGHT, I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT.

>> ALL RIGHT, THEN.

CONGRATULATIONS, HOUSTON -- TED CRUZ HAS LEFT THE PLANET.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )

>> Announcer: IT'S "A LATE

SHOW" WITH STEPHEN COLBERT!