Port Lowell

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Airy-0 Crater is host to the second-largest city on Mars, the unaligned town of Port Lowell. Port Lowell is the largest fendane settlement outside of Earth cislunar orbit. The city was founded by members and supporters of the Mars Society who began migrating to Mars early, almost beating the Trekkies to the surface.

Unofficial flag of Mars, used in Port Lowell
Port Lowell (named for astronomer Percival Lowell) is the center for "Martian unification," endlessly pestering the other settlements on uniting as a faction above and beyond their political origins. The city is also considered a major spiritual center in Fenspace, as it hosts St. Liebowitz's Cathedral.

The city had a remarkable population boom during the Boskone War, when many people who fled the "front lines" of the Main Belt took up residence there. This led to a housing shortage that was not eased until mid-2014, when the Fenspace Convention[1] purchased surplus Irish housing, disassembled it, and shipped it to Port Lowell and other Fen cities.

Education

Schiaparelli High School, located in downtown Port Lowell, is the largest secondary-education facility on Mars.

Religion

With St. Liebowitz's Cathedral located on the city's main square, Port Lowell is seen as a major religious center in Fenspace.

A team from Port Lowell using surplus NASA equipment on a long-duration survey of Airy-0 Crater.

Infrastructure

The main Interwave node for Mars is located at Port Lowell. It has sufficient capability to handle all of the traffic from Mars, Phobos, and Deimos, making it a backup system to the nodes at Phobos, Starbase 1, and Odyssey.

Operation Great Justice maintains a liaison office in Port Lowell.

Entertainment

Port Lowell is home to one of Mars' two Astroball teams, the Martian War Machine. They're noted for a particularly ruthless playbook (as befits their name).


Notes

  1. At the suggestion of Stellvia Corporation and the strong urging of the Soviet Air Force