Mars
| Official Name: | United Martian Colonies[2] (founded 2103)[3] |
| Affiliation: | United Earth Republic,[4] United Federation of Planets[5] |
| Location: | Sol IV,[5] Sol Sector[1] (Sector 001),[6] Alpha Quadrant[1] |
| Distance from Star: | 227,940,000 km[1] |
| Orbital Period: | 686.9 days[1] |
| Rotational Period: | 24 hours, 37 minutes[1] |
| Class: | M[7] (K prior to terraforming)[1] |
| Surface Temperature: | -120°C to 25°C[1] |
| Diameter: | 6790 km[1] |
| Gravity: | 0.38g[1] |
| Natural Satellites: | Phobos, Deimos[4][8] |
| Points of Interest: | Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards,[9] Olympus Mons, Valles Marineris[1] |
| Notable Species: | Humans[2] |
| Notable Individuals: | Mira Romaine,[10] Simon Tarses[11] |
| Notable Events: |
The first Human settlers arrived on Mars in 2103.[3] The colony's original flag was based on a painting of a bullfighter on velvet.[1] In 2105, a serial murderer killed eight women, and the crime would go unsolved until 2267.[12]
Mira Romaine[10] and Simon Tarses[11] were both born on Mars. Leah Brahms resided on Mars while working on the Galaxy class starship project at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards.[9]
Environment & Geography
By 2155, the terraforming of Mars was well underway, and only thermal insulation gear and simple breathing masks were needed to venture onto the planet's surface, rather than full environmental suits.[4] By the 24th century, Mars had been completely terraformed.[7] Only 10% of Mars' surface is covered by water, nearly all of which is in freshwater lakes created from existing impact craters.[13]
One of Mars' most famous features is Olympus Mons, an extinct volcano and the tallest mountain in the Sol system. Another notable feature is Valles Marineris, a network of steep canyons that stretches for 4000 kilometers. Hellas Mare is a huge freshwater lake in the southern hemisphere created from Mars' largest impact crater, Hellas Planitia.[13]
History
Human settlement began in 2103,[3] when the first permanent colony was established on the plains of Utopia Planitia. Established by the United Space Probe Agency, the settlement was called Nova Ares and its first inhabitants were mostly UESPA support personnel who oversaw ship launches and refueling.[13] Some of these early settlers included ancestors of Jean-Luc Picard.[14]
The first Humans to settle Mars adopted the term "Martians" in jest. Every year, they organized the H.G. Wells Martian Festival, named in honor of the author of "War of the Worlds," though the festival became more of a curiousity by the 24th century. As the Martian independence movement gained momentum in the mid-22nd century, the residents of Mars took the term more seriously, and it became a symbol of their desire to govern themselves. As the colony grew, it attracted free spirits who just wanted to live on Mars. Settlement had spread beyond Utopia Planitia, and the colonists were sufficiently numerous and confident of themselves that a momement for independence began to form.[13]
In 2152, informal groups of activists coalesced to form the 100-member Mars Constituent Assembly,[13] which published a document called the "Fundamental Declaration of the Martian Colonies,"[2] which asserted that the Mars colonists were entitled to the same political and legal rights as anyone living on Earth. The question of what to do with Mars became even more troublesome when war broke out with the Romulan Star Empire in 2155. With the war raging, Earth authorities and the Mars Constitutent Assembly approved an arrangement in 2158 in which Mars would retain its allegiance to Earth, while the colonists would gain considerable authority to govern themselves. The formation of the United Federation of Planets in 2161 rendered any remaining controversy over Martian independence moot.[13]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 "Star Trek: Star Charts." Star Trek. Book. Pocket Books. October 2002.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Court Martial." Star Trek, Episode 14. Television. 2 February 1967.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "The 37s." Star Trek: Voyager, Episode 120. Television. 28 August 1995.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Demons." Star Trek: Enterprise, Episode 96. Television. 6 May 2005.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "The Cage." Star Trek, Episode 00. Television. Unaired (1965).
- ↑ "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II." Star Trek: The Next Generation, Episode 175. Television. 24 September 1990.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Mosaic." Star Trek: Voyager. Novel. October 1996.
- ↑ "Terra Prime." Star Trek: Enterprise, Episode 97. Television. 13 May 2005.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Booby Trap." Star Trek: The Next Generation, Episode 154. Television. 30 October 1989.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "The Lights of Zetar." Star Trek, Episode 73. Television. 31 January 1969.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "The Drumhead." Star Trek: The Next Generation, Episode 195. Television. 29 April 1991.
- ↑ "Wolf in the Fold." Star Trek, Episode 36. Television. 22 December 1967.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 "Worlds." Star Trek Role Playing Game, book 7. Game. Decipher, Inc. 2005.
- ↑ Star Trek: Generations. Film. 18 November 1994.
