Mars flag flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery was proposed in early 2000. and it was designed by NASA engineer and Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station task force leader Pascal Lee and conceded aboard by astronaut John Mace Grunsfeld, the flag consists of three vertical bars of red, green, and blue, symbolizing the renovation of Mars from a barren planet (red) to one bearing sustainable life (green), and finally to a fully terraformed planet with open bodies of water. This was recommended by the Kim Stanley Robinson science fiction trilogy Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars. While other designs have been proposed, the republican tricolor has been adopted by the Mars Society as its own official banner