Exploration of Mars seasonal vegetation and apparent linear features were ascribed to intelligent design. Further telescopic observations found two moons, Phobos and Deimos, polar ice caps and the feature now known as Olympus Mons, the solar system's tallest mountain. The discoveries piqued further interest in the study and exploration of the red planet. Mars is a rocky planet, like Earth, that formed around the same time, yet with only half the diameter of Earth, and a far thinner atmosphere; it has a cold and desert-like surface. The minimum-energy launch windows for a Martian expedition occur at intervals of approximately two years and two
The Angry Red Planet CineMagic process: "Our set for the planet Mars cost us a couple of hundred dollars instead of the thousands we had estimated". Pink also estimates in that interview that the movie "will be made at half the original cost", confirming that "Invasion of Mars" (the film's working title before its release) was a low-budget project. The "meager" $200,000 production budget cited for "The Angry Red Planet" may therefore be a credible ballpark figure. Filming for "The Angry Red Planet" began on September 9, 1959 at Hal Roach Studios in Culver City, California, only a month after Melchior and Pink completed