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'''Mars''' (or '''Sol IV''') is the [[fourth planets|fourth]] [[planet]] of the [[Sol system]], located in [[Sector 001]] of the [[Alpha Quadrant]].

Due to its similarity with [[Earth]], [[scientist]]s scientists believed it might hold life as well. In the early years of [[space]] exploration, various theories and projects were made to justify this. Eventually, scientists from [[Earth]] discovered microscopic evidence of ancient life on Mars in [[1996]]. Larger fossils were discovered later on.

In [[1947]], several members of the [[United States of America|United States]] military thought [[Quark]], [[Rom]] and [[Nog]] were from Mars. [[Jeff Carlson]] and [[Faith Garland]] wondered if they might be able to have their [[honeymoon]] there.

In [[2032]], a manned [[Earth]] mission to Mars, the ''[[Ares IV]]'', took place under the command of [[Lieutenant]] [[John Kelly]]. In [[2269]], [[James T. Kirk]] argued in favor of having [[Sargon]] and his companions take over the bodies of the crew, and emphasized the benefits that it might possibly have on mankind, he explained, "''they used to say if man could fly, he'd have wings. But he did fly. He discovered he had to. Do you wish that the first [[Apollo 11|Apollo mission]] hadn't reached [[Luna|the moon]] or that we hadn't gone on to Mars or the [[Alpha Centauri|nearest star]]?''"

In [[2372]], [[Captain]] [[Benjamin Sisko]] and [[Constable]] [[Odo]] planned for [[Joseph Sisko]] and [[Jake Sisko]] to take a transport to Mars to avoid being caught in Admiral [[Leyton]]'s ''[[coup d'état]]''. =

As the first [[Human]] [[colony]] on Mars was established in [[2103]], the [[Fundamental Declarations of the Martian colonies]] were an important step in the pursuit of individual rights. Among the first colonists were relatives of [[Jean-Luc Picard]]. [[Utopia Planitia]] was established along with the [[Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards]] in geo-synchronous [[orbit]] above, where many famous [[starship|vessels]] starships including the [[USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-D]] and the [[USS Defiant, NX-74205]] were built. Mars was also an important part in the defense of the Sol system and the location of the [[Mars Defense Perimeter]].

Mars was the first planet to be [[terraforming|terraformed]] by Humans. Colonists originally dwelt within domed cities while the [[verteron array]] was used to redirect [[comet]]s comets and [[asteroid]]s asteroids towards the Red Planet to impact in the polar caps. This freed [[carbon dioxide]] and released it into the [[atmosphere]], increasing the planet's temperature and [[water]] volume. By [[2155]], conditions in the lowlands of the Martian surface were sufficiently altered to allow Humans to roam freely without heavy [[environmental suit]]s.

Mars was often featured in science fiction stories of the [[20th century]]. In [[1953]], [[Benny Russell]] met a [[Unnamed Humans (20th century)#News Vendor|vendor]] in [[Harlem]] who found "men from Mars" to be unrealistic. After [[Douglas Pabst]] told Russell an [[Africa]]nAfrican-[[American]] in charge of a [[space station]] was "not believable", [[Herbert Rossoff]] angrily retorted "and men from Mars are?"

A product known as "[[Mars Toothpaste]]", based on the name of the Roman God, was manufactured on the [[892-IV|fourth planet]] of the [[892 system]] in [[2268]].