Mars

From Acw

Revision as of 05:54, 4 October 2007

Mars is the 4th planet of the Sol System.

History

• The Russians did not develop their Moon programme, choosing instead to shoot for Mars. In 1986, The Russians land the first man on Mars

• In 1989, Russia establishes the first Mars Colony Voskhod, where the Treaty of Voskhod was signed in 2006.

• In 1990 Grossdeutschland launches an expedition to Mars from its Luna holdings. They establish their first Mars colony, Mars Kolonie Ein, in 1997

• In 2006 under the Treaty of Voskhod, Grossdeutschland and the USSR divide Mars between them and agree to co-operate on the terraforming and joint protection of Mars from external powers.

• In 2011 large scale terraforming begins on Mars with the German and Russian fleets detonating nuclear weapons at the poles. The resulting detonations melt water and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Simulataneously, the first Great Mirror moves into position over the northern pole. Meanwhile on the surface largescale factories produce CFCs and PFCs.

• In 2014 the first microbial lifeforms are released across the globe, genetically designed to help build an atmosphere.

• In 2015 the first of seventeen asteroids is sent into the martian atmosphere. These gas rich asteroids largely burn up in the atmosphere serving to add volume to the thin martian atmosphere.

• In 2023 terraforming of Mars completes sufficiently to allow a man to breath the atmosphere unaided for short periods of time, although the daytime tempatures are still cold to icy.

• In 2027 most released species have begun to adapt to life on their new home.

• In the 2020s and 30s, Britain constructed experimental arcology housing on Phobos and Deimos, using technology that was later copied by the Germans on Luna and Arminius, to make otherwise barren moons livable and almost self-sufficient.

• In 2030 both Russian and German nations begin large scale population relocation to Mars. The expected lifespan of these colonists settles in the mid thirties as many difficulties are encountered. Despite this, many are willing to seek a new better life on Mars rather than face growing population density and competition for resources on Earth.

• 2030-2077 Terraforming efforts continue for the better part of half a century as more of the surface is slowly made habitable. These efforts focus on improvement of quality of life rather than specific needs for survival on the surface. Efforts focus on increasing the biodiversity of the planet, generation of artificial magetospheres over large population centres to protect against radiation, maintenance of the atmosphere, cleanup of nuclear fallout at the poles. Life expectancy rises from the mid thirties to the mid sixties over this period.

• In 2077 the last super factory producing greenhouse gases is turned off and redeveloped. The Martian atmosphere is now warm enough to be comparable with Earth during the early 21st century.

• in the early 2100s, under the growing pressure of events like the 2114 Prague Sit-in and the Migration Crises of the 2120s, Mars became the site for massive population resettlements for Russia and Germany. The availability of Mars for German population migration was the determining factor in Germany not constructing any Ark Ships.

Politics

Russia

Krasnograd - capital - change Petrova's character sheet.

Grossdeutschland

Structure of Administration

The Grossdeutschland controlled portion of Mars is subdivided into 3 separate colonies or Flächenländer (area states), each with its own appointed governor and administration. This subdivision of power was undertaken after the massive population resettlement of the early 2100's. With millions of individuals migrating to Mars in order to escape the increasing effects of climate change on Earth, the population of the Grossdeutschland colony on Mars expanded exponentially and the administrative staff appointed to Mars at the time simply couldn't handle the massive increase in numbers. In order to facilitate easier management of the now sizeable population, the colony was divided in 3. The 3 colonies are:

• Mars Zentral
• Mars Landwirtschaftlich Staat
• Neu Hessen

Each individual colony encompasses a 60º area of longtitude, with Mars Zentral bordering the 0º north-south meridian, Neu Hessen bordering the 180º meridian and Mars Landwirtschaftlich Staat falling between the two.

Each colony is further subdivided into individual Kreise, called either Landkreise or Stadtkreise depending of whether they are predominately rural based or urban based respectively. These report directly to the colonial goverment and administer the day to day running of smaller scale operations (waste disposal, small scale road projects, public utilities etc) within their designated area.

Geography and Geology

Geological History

Due to its relative geological stability in comparison with Earth and with the absence of comprehensive fossil data, determining the detailed geological history of Mars proved almost impossible to the first USSR and Grossdeustchland scientists who arrived there. Using a visible and infrared mineralogical mapping Spectrometer and based upon the correlation between the mineralogy and geology of the planet however, Soviet scientists were able to develop a proposed timeline that divided the geological history of the planet into 3 epochs. They named each of these epochs after famous Russian geologists.

• Karpinskian - lasted from the formation of the planet until around 4000 million years ago. Consisting, lithologically, largely of phyllosilicates and is interpreted as a time where predominately alkaline seas covered much of the Martian surface
• Chikhachovian - lasting until about 3500 million years ago, was a period of intense volcanic activity. Sulfate rich rocks suggest the large amount of volcanism during this interval generated a great deal of sulfur dioxide, which would have had a marked affect of surface water chemistry (change from alkaline to acidic).
• Rusanovian - from 3500 million years ago until the present. Volcanism on Mars ceased and liquid water became absent during this period. With the absence of water or tectonic activity, the geological evolution of Mars from the beginning of this period up until terraforming consists of aeolian erosion and surface iron oxidation.

Following terraforming, the geological processes active on Mars changed dramatically. With the availabilty of free standing water, fluvial erosion becomes active, and marine deposition once again begins to take place. This has resulted in major changes to Martian topography and surface mineralogy, and some scientists have proposed creation of a new Martian epoch, the Nedavnian.

Topography

Prior to terraforming, the Martian surface consisted largely of a fine iron oxide rich dust that gave the planet its characteristic red colour. Topographically the planet consisted of plains flattened by lava flows in the north and in the south, a series of highlands, pitted and cratered by ancient meteorite impacts. Post terraforming the surface of Mars has changed dramatically and continues to change at a rapid rate

Land Masses

Mars , being tectonically inactive, does not possess individual continents or plates. The surface of the planet is effectively one large land mass. With the reintroduction of free standing water following the melting of the polar ice caps, what can now be called 'land' is concentrated in the southern half in the planet, with virtually no land projecting above the sea surface in the northern half of the planet. The highest point on mars is the massive Gora Olympus

Military

Economy

Demographics

Culture