Mars
The Red Planet: a desert world with a thin atmosphere, ancient volcanoes, and a history of exploration.
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, known as the "Red Planet" for its orange-red appearance. It is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous atmosphere primarily composed of carbon dioxide. Its surface gravity is about a third of Earth's, and its mean diameter is about half Earth's. The planet has two small, irregular natural satellites: Phobos and Deimos.
Quick Facts
- Affiliation
- TriOptimum Corporation
- First appears
- System Shock 2 (referenced only)
- Role
- Colonized planet with TriOptimum facilities; not a setting in System Shock 2
- Status
- Unknown; no events on Mars depicted in System Shock 2
- Notable locations
- TriOptimum research stations, mining shafts, military bunkers
Lore & Background
Mars formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago. Its geological history is divided into three primary periods: the Noachian (4.5 to 3.5 billion years ago), marked by impacts and possible water oceans; the Hesperian (3.5 to 3.3–2.9 billion years ago), dominated by volcanic activity and flooding; and the Amazonian (3.3–2.9 billion years ago to present), which continues today. The planet is seismically active, with marsquakes, and hosts extinct volcanoes including Olympus Mons, the tallest in the Solar System, and Valles Marineris, one of the largest canyons. A 2023 study suggests Mars may have had a ring system 3.5 to 4 billion years ago.
Reader's Guide
Mars has been observed with the naked eye throughout history. The first flight to Mars was Mars 1 in 1963, but communication was lost. The first successful flyby was Mariner 4 in 1965. Mariner 9 entered orbit in 1971, the first spacecraft to orbit a body other than the Moon, Sun, or Earth. The first uncontrolled impact (Mars 2) and first successful landing (Mars 3) also occurred in 1971. Probes have been active on Mars continuously since 1997. Mars is often proposed for future crewed missions, though none are currently planned.
Did You Know?
- Mars has a significant axial tilt of 25 degrees, giving it seasons similar to Earth.
- A Martian solar year is 1.88 Earth years (687 Earth days), and a Martian solar day (sol) is 24.6 hours.
- Fine dust is prevalent across the surface and atmosphere, picked up by weak winds due to low gravity.
- The northern hemisphere consists of relatively flat plains, while the southern hemisphere has cratered highlands.
More in World & Locations
Elsewhere in System Shock
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