"The Red Pathfinder"

Nova Identification: NOVA-004

Name: Mars

Named After: Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun

Classification: Planetary Nova

Specialty: Survival & Pathfinding

Motto: “No trail? Make one.”

BEHIND THE NAME “MARS”

Mars is known throughout the world as the Red Planet because iron minerals in its soil have oxidized—or rusted—giving much of the planet its famous reddish color.

For centuries, people have looked toward Mars and wondered what might be waiting there.

Today, Mars is one of the most explored worlds beyond Earth. Orbiters, landers and rovers have traveled there to study its surface and search for clues about its ancient past.

🔴 The Red Planet

• Mars gets its reddish appearance from iron minerals in its rocks and soil that have oxidized, similar to how iron rusts on Earth.

🏔️ Home to an Enormous Volcano

• Mars is home to Olympus Mons, the largest known volcano in our solar system. It towers roughly 13 miles above the surrounding region.

🌄 A Gigantic Canyon

• Mars also has Valles Marineris, an enormous canyon system stretching more than 2,000 miles across the planet.

🌙 Two Tiny Moons

• Mars has two moons named Phobos and Deimos. Both are much smaller than Earth's Moon and have irregular shapes.

❄️ Mars Has Ice

• Although Mars is famous for its dry, dusty landscape, large amounts of water ice exist on and beneath parts of its surface.

🤖 Robots Have Explored Mars

• Humans haven't walked on Mars yet, but robotic explorers have. Rovers including Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity and Perseverance have traveled across the Martian surface.

🌅 Mars Has Blue Sunsets

• On Earth, sunsets often appear red and orange. On Mars, fine dust in the atmosphere can cause the area around the setting Sun to appear bluish.

THE STORY OF MARS

Mars never asked if a mission would be easy. He only asked where he needed to go. During his early days in the Nova program, Mars became known for volunteering for assignments nobody else wanted. Rough terrain. Unknown territory. Long journeys. It didn't matter. Whenever the path disappeared, Mars kept moving. That eventually earned him a special designation:

PATHFINDER.

His responsibility was simple. Go first. Find a way through. And leave a path for everyone who came after him. Then Mars received coordinates for his next assignment.

Amarillo, Texas.

His orders were part of the Find Nova program. Find a hiding place. Remain undetected. Wait for a Guardian. Mars accepted immediately. After surviving imaginary dust storms, enormous mountains and countless expeditions across distant worlds, hiding somewhere on Earth sounded easy. But Mars underestimated one thing.

The Guardians were getting better.

The search began. Clues were released. Explorers started closing in. Mars remained at his post and refused to surrender his position. Until eventually...

a Guardian found him.

Mars's Earth mission was complete. The Red Pathfinder had finally been discovered. But Mars didn't consider it a defeat. After all, a Pathfinder's job isn't to reach the end of the trail.

It's to make sure someone else can.

MARS'S MISSION

Status: Mission Complete

Mission: Follow-up on the discovery of new locations and carve a path to growth

Home Base: Supernova Inflatables LLC

Current Location: With his Guardian