Mars

Mars is a rocky planet and the fourth planet in the Sol-System. The planet has two natural satellites, the moons Phobos and Deimos. It was the first foreign planet to be visited by humans during the Minerva 4 Mission in 2044 and the first planet to be colonised in 2161.

Geography

Mars' surface contains high levels of iron(III)-oxide, giving the planet a red hue. Iron also makes up a significant part of the crust of Mars and, along with nickel, the majority of the liquid planetary core. The polar ice caps are made up of mainly solid carbon dioxide, which forms large plateaus around 3 km thick at the northern and southern poles. During summer, most of the carbon dioxide on one of the poles sublimes and a residue of water remains.
The surface of the planet shows drastic differences between the northern and southern hemispheres. The northern third of the planet is mainly comprised of vast, desolate plains and lies on average around 3 - 6 kilometres lower than the southern two-thirds. This is believed to be a relic from the time of ancient Mars, when there were gigantic oceans. Most of the large landmarks, mainly calderas and volcano fields, are located in the southern two-thirds. This includes the largest mountain in the Sol-System, Olympus Mons, standing roughly 26km tall.

Labelled map of Mars

Habitation

The first humans set foot on Mars in the year 2044 during the Minerva 4 Mission. Multiple temporary habitats and small research bases were built during the following century, but it wasn't until 2161 that the first large, permanent settlement was built on the surface of Mars. New Thêbai was constructed at the foot of Elysium Mons and remains the largest city on the planet. Other large cities are New Albany, located at the foot of Alba Mons, Lockyer City at the centre of the Hellas Basin, Carthage, found in the northwestern part of Tharsis Rise, and Copratos, built into the Coprates Chasma in the eastern part of the gigantic Valles Marinieris canyon. Together, these five cities account for 11 of the roughly 15 million beings inhabiting the planet.
Most of the other settlements were constructed within reach of the five major cities, mainly to account for the lack of a spaceport and thus critical goods that can't be produced on Mars, like most types of food. Rudimentary road systems were constructed for easier travel of convoys and passengers. Especially in the Hellas Basin, which shows the highest density of settlements and the most advanced road system on the planet on account of the comparably flat terrain and favourable geological composition of the ground.

Type: Terrestrial
Size: 0.53 Earth
Habitable: No
Moons: 2
Population: 15'000'000
Average Temperature: 209°K / -64°C
Gravity: 0.38g
Atmospheric Pressure: 0.006 atm
Atmospheric Composition: CO2 (95%), N2 (2.8%), Ar (2%)
Length of day: 24 Hours 30 Minutes
Orbital Period: 687 days

Owning Organization

United Nations