Scientists in the 21st century attempt to make Mars habitable by introducing algae and cockroaches, which help to purify the atmosphere and spread the algae. Five centuries later, a manned mission to Mars goes dark, prompting a second expedition to uncover the cause.
Terra Formars
A team of scientists in the 21st century successfully establish a human settlement on Mars by introducing algae to purify the atmosphere and cockroaches to spread the algae as they feed, paving the way for the first manned mission to the planet 500 years later.