Terraforming

Terraforming is the process of transforming the characteristics of a planet or asteroid to make it habitable, including atmospheric composition, soil, weather, and flora/fauna. It is usually preceded by some form of base or habitation on the planet. It is also a long-term process that can take millennia or tens of millennia. If the object is too far away from its home star, a stellification engine may be required.

In Star Trek the Genesis Device was a powerful device designed to initiate a process of rapid terraforming, by which previously uninhabitable planets could be turned into class M (habitable) worlds ready for colonization. This was done by launching the device, a torpedo-shaped projectile, into a lifeless planet. Upon impact, the device caused a massive explosion, reducing the entire area to the subatomic level. A preprogrammed matrix then reassembled these subatomic particles into the desired configuration, creating an atmosphere and environment habitable for humans within a matter of hours. Unfortunately, if the device was detonated where life already existed, it would prove to be a very powerful doomsday weapon, destroying all life in favor of its new matrix.

See Also:

Terraforming Mars

Artificial planet construction