Mars

Mars in 2295 c.e. (326 a.t.), in the earliest (Red Mars) phase of terraformation; small seas have formed at Hellas and Isidis

The first planet outside Earth and Luna to host a permanent occupancy, and for a while the greatest superpower the Solar System has seen, Mars retains a romantic air even to this day. Mars was colonised in the Early Interplanetary Age, and the process of terraforming was started soon after. But it turned out to be much more difficult than first thought; the regolith was salty, and sulphurous; there was little water, and economically important metal ores were relatively rare. The nanoswarms severely damaged the original terraforming program, and Mars never recaptured the glory of the Interplanetary Age. 

After a brief economic, political, and cultural renaissance during the First Federation era (there was talk of shifting the Federation Capital from Vesta to Robinson), the world suffered a series of drastic ecological crises. Apparently some of the biotic nanites from the original nanoswarm disaster had exchanged genetic material with local terraforming micro-organisms. The organisms thus produced remained harmless for many centuries, until they were accidentally hybridised with some new Genen bugs. This in turn triggered a major economic depression that brought down the economy. During the Expansion era most of the population resettled in orbital biospheres or out-system (New Mars was a popular destination for the old tweak clades, who already had clan and family links, while the baselines preferred Ajarran's World, New Europe, and Michelson).

After the establishment of the Solar Organisation Mars became one of the two most important worlds in the Solar System, together with Luna. From 7544-8600 c.e. Mars was the capital of the SolOrg, and new cities were built in the outback; Zephyria and Airy-0 remain populous and distinctive centres. Mars experienced a second golden age at this time, but it lasted barely a thousand years. Today Mars remains a fairly sparsely populated planet, inhabited by the proud Martians and the large settlements of The Realigned Temples of Humanity.

1964 - Mariner 4 - first successful Mars Flyby

1975 - Viking 1 and 2 - Mars Orbiter and Lander

1996 - Mars Global Surveyor / Mars Pathfinder

2004 - Mars Rovers Spirit and Opportunity

2029 - Mars mission vessels Discovery and Endeavour depart for Mars.

2031 - Ships arrive at Mars. Teams are landed at Isidis and Chryse.

2034 - Martian Pioneers arrive back at Earth. Space exploration reverts once again to unmanned probes

2112 - Robot probes discover what seems to be water in the area of Noachis Terra near a crater in the southern hemisphere. Upon confirmation a small group much akin to the 20th century Biosphere 2 project was sent to build and crew a small temporary research colony in the area to ascertain the extent of the water concentration and possible biological content there in.

2115 - After building the colony base "Noachis Alpha", the results of the water finding mission were less than hoped for. Very little evidence was found and though the base is quite capable of sustaining a full time science team it is abandon a few short months later when it is noticed that what was mistaken for liquid water turns out to be a a thin layer of water ice over a dense layer of CO₂ vapor and hydrocarbons.

2124 - The first full scale mars colony is completed and is christened "Port Robinson", after information age fabulist and visionary Kim Stanley Robinson who envisaged and described the colonisation and terraforming of Mars.  (Not, as is sometimes claimed, after an even earlier tale of a marooned Swiss or Space (details of nationalities differ) Family Robinson).

2152 - The baseline inhabitants are complemented by a genetically altered group specially tweaked to survive in a Martian-type environment with minimal assistance, although many of the alterations doom them to an unnaturally short life span (this was later rectified through medical bionano and further genome tinkering).

2165 - The first of a series of comets is diverted to impact on Mars.

2184 - Surface pressure 30 millibars. First gengineered microbes are introduced.

2185 -  Inner council formed to provide a legal template for new colonies and space usage rights in the inner solar system. Council membership is 80% Terran with neural interfacing to several net resources, including an Earth based hyperturings. Council holds considerable power initially, but with the rapid rise in power of the orbital colonies, several secede in relatively quick succession over a period.

2190 - Neogen species discovered in Martian atmosphere, allegedly gengineered for terraforming program. Gengineering is now mainstream, but many are uneasy about neogengineering so this causes a bit of a stir. A law is hastily passed by the Inner Council banning several neogen species throughout the inner system (in which the council still has power). Regulations on specific areas of neogen research are also established.

2195 -  Martian revolution; new Martian government is formed. Terran powers lose significant power and assets.

An early Martian tweak, adapted to very low pressure environments (these tweaks were not able to remain on the planet once the atmosphere of Mars passed 100 millibars)

2220 - Serious tensions between the Martian normals and cyborgs who wish to continue terraforming, and the Mars tweaks who will find themselves in an environment they can no longer survive. Alliance between Mars tweaks and a baseline minority called the "reds" (eco-activists), both of which wish to retain the original Mars for different reasons, results in several minor acts of sabotage.

2235 - Surface pressure 60 millibars. Continued small asteroid and comet impacts to raise temperature and increase water content. Gengineered microbes are thriving.

2250 - Mars is well on the way to being transformed through terraforming. Previously a glacial desert, through nuclear detonations in the crust and beneath the poles the albedo has been lowered and water vapor has been freed. Kuiper belt ice is being imported and gengineered microbes are being used to make the planet livable for unprotected humans, a project expected to take at least two centuries more.

2257 - The Lagrange Magshield is deployed, an artificial magnetosphere which protects Mars and its atmosphere against the solar wind.

2300 - Surface pressure 150 millibars. At this time Mars is the most populous colony planet, with a population of 90 million humans. It is formally divided into 24 independent regions, each having a seat on the planetary council (which mainly manages the terraforming effort). The council convenes in the new capital at Phobos City.

Brown Mars
with a surface pressure of 200 millibars and rising, the planet can support dark green, genetically engineered plants which produce oxygen

2350 -  Brown Mars. Many of the Mars tweaks have long since departed for the Belt and Oort cloud. Population of Mars (through migration and natural population increase) has reached 600 million. Most of the big megacorporations have shifted their base of operations here. Mars is one of the three great Superpowers, along with Orbital Alliance and the Jovian League. Surface pressure 180 millibars.

2400 - Port Robinson is now the hub of a vast city that rivals even the huge cities of "Luna Tyco" and New York, supporting over one hundred million of the best and most idealistic of the Terran peoples, it is considered the gateway to the outer planets and has a huge spaceport to support it.

2450 - Surface pressure 220 millibars. While the atmosphere is still too thin for baselines, many of the population is tweaked or bioborged to cope with it, and for those who aren't, most of the cities are still pressurised. The planet is already suffering some pollution from the industry established here, although this is ably dealt with by nanotech. Population two billion, chiefly in the big megapoli like Robinson Central Complex, Phobos City, and Cydonia City. Mars is the greatest superpower in the solar system, equivalent to America at the turn of the 21st century. Strict immigration policy prevents newcomers to the promised land.

2501 - The first wave of nanite swarms strike Mars. Widespread panic. However blue goo defences hold.

2599 - Blue goo defences fail; martian ecosystem crashes. Great loss of life, although some refugees escape to surviving orbitals, others to the Belt or the outer solar system.

2617 - Blue goo defences of last Mars Orbital (Asgard IV) fail; no sentients remain in or around cis-Martian space.

circa 2750 ai-designed blue goo reaches Mars and begins cleaning up the planet.

2850 - Recolonisation of Mars by refugees.

3010 - Mars is opened for unrestricted settlement by biologicals, provided they have the necessary augments.

3050 - Resettlement of Mars, terraforming begins anew, various gengineered biota introduced.

3200 - In terms of status and prestige, Mars is once again the greatest world in the Solar System. The First Martian Golden Age. The capital is now Olympus City.

3250 - Surface pressure 300 millibars. Mars has an almost earth-type atmosphere and oceans, although the terraforming is not yet complete.

3490 - Surface pressure 500 millibars. Unexpected bionanogoo resulting from hybridisation of dormant bionano from the original nanoswarm disaster accidentally hybridised with new Genen microbes trigger a number of drastic ecological crises, resulting in a major economic depression that brings down the economy.

3500-3600 - Widespread off-planet migration.

4500 - Green Mars Surface pressure 700 millibars. Remaining Martians once again vote to reject plans to finish terraforming the planet.

5700 - Authenticity purges; many extrasolar species of nearbaseline humanity are expelled from Mars. This leads to the Authenticity war.

6421 - New Martian Federation established; a totalitarian regime based on surveillance and memetic control. Mars goes into another decline and the population drops once more.

6622 - End of the Version War; refugees from New Mars and other mars-like worlds are drawn to the old red planet.

6950 - The influx of refugees leads to a more cosmopolitan society; the 'New Federation' is dissolved.

7270 - Human supremacist groups attack Earth with some support from Martian factions; retaliation by GAIA results in a war in the Solar System, with loss of millions of lives on Mars

7544 - Mars becomes capital of the Solar Organisation; this period is sometimes called the Second Golden Age.

8600 - Mars Republic secedes from the Solar Organisation for two hundred years; when it returns it is a relatively junior partner.

9700 - The Realigned Temples of Humanity are established, drawing together many disparate groups of humanocentrics and Back-to-Earth activists.