Mars (Doctor Who) space programme sent a series of manned missions to Mars. Mars Probes 6 and 7 made contact with a group of radioactive aliens orbiting the planet on a peaceful survey mission. On 31 October 2006, the Guinevere One probe was launched for an intended landing on Christmas Day, but was intercepted by the alien Sycorax before it could do so. The first human colonists arrived on Mars in 2058 and established Bowie Base One, a massive bio-dome where frozen Martian water deposits were used to grow vegetation. On 21 November 2059, the colony was destroyed when mission commander Captain Adelaide
The Gods of Mars to Earth in pre-technological eras, particularly with the inclusion of kingdoms, empires or religious societies. Spacecraft may appear, but are not central to the story (something which makes these tales distinct from Space Opera, where spaceships are usually a key focus of the narrative). There were some Planetary Romances prior to the publication of the Barsoom novels, but "A Princess of Mars" and "The Gods of Mars" and other novels in the Barsoom series were the most influential on the numerous similar stories that were published subsequently. Burroughs's vision of Mars was loosely inspired by astronomical speculation of the time,