Flag of Mars "red Mars and two moons in blue field above a diagonal, white below". In Robert A. Heinlein's 1961 science-fiction novel "Stranger in a Strange Land", a flag of Mars is hastily improvised, consisting of "the field in white and the sigil of Mars in red". In The Expanse television series, based on "The Expanse" series of novels by James S. A. Corey, the Martian Congressional Republic is the governing body that rules over the inhabitants of Mars and is one of the two human superpowers in the series. Its flag is reminiscent of Mars and its two moons, Phobos and
Exploration of Mars one of the proponents of such missions. Various asteroids, moons, and places on Mars can be mined while crops are initially being planted. This method will save lives on Earth, add potentially trillions of dollars to the world economy annually, and provide a stable colony on Mars. Some have also stated that persons should stay on Earth, but get food and resources from Mars and surrounding asteroids, moons, greenhouses in space and other structures. Some critics contend unmanned robots can perform better than humans at a fraction of the expense. If life exists on Mars, a human mission could contaminate