As society started to despair due to the impact of human degradation of the environment, a space exploration organization founded by a secret society of the world's wealthiest people started a project to terraform and colonize Mars before anyone else.  With almost limitless resources at their disposal, they saw breakthrough after breakthrough, being years ahead of any other space exploration agency. While readying the biggest expedition earth had ever seen, a satellite was set adrift due to an unexpected solar flare, cutting the connection with control. A few weeks later, an image of what was first thought to be Earth was received coming from the lost satellite. It was a luscious green planet somehow hidden at the exact same orbit as Earth, but on the opposite side of the sun. The planet got temporarily named "Sol-3.2" as the second planet in the third closest planetary orbit to the sun.  Due to the mysterious interference, remote exploration proved impossible after a single attempt, but sensors from that failed launched rover showed that the planet had about the same gravity as Earth and a breathable atmosphere before the connection got cut. The previous Mars expedition got cancelled and was unofficially transformed into the first Sol-3.2 Expedition.