Apollo 34

Apollo 34 was an Earth spaceship launched in 2056 to deliver a human mission to the planet Mars. Commanded by Captain Adelaide Brooke, the vessel took nearly two years to arrive at Mars, where Bowie Base One was established. According to the Tenth Doctor, the mission was made up of the "very first people on Mars", although an obituary of Adelaide claimed a three-person team including Brooke landed on Mars when Adelaide was 42, in 2041. Apollo 34 was then set up on a launch pad for its eventual return flight or for emergency evacuation from the planet, should the need arise.

Such a need arose in 2059 when an infestation by a water-based race called the Flood threatened the lives of the base crew and Brooke ordered Apollo 34 prepped for launch. The Flood had made it clear that their intention was to invade Earth, however, and when it became clear that the Flood had breached the vessel, First Officer Ed Gold, who was preparing the vessel for launch, detonated it instead, marooning the survivors on Mars. (TV: The Waters of Mars)

Behind the scenes

 * The vessel Apollo 34 is never referenced by this name in dialogue, but is identified by this name in one of the web pages shown during the episode. The vessel is referred to as a "shuttle" rather than as a spacecraft, possibly due to the fact that it is shown as capable of relaunching and returning to Earth (as opposed to a one-way or brief mission as was the case with the LEM modules of the original Apollo moon missions).
 * In reality, the highest-number Apollo mission launched was Apollo 17, with 18, 19, and 20 planned but cancelled. The use of Apollo 34 suggests there may have been between thirteen and sixteen additional Apollo missions conducted in the first half of the 21st century.
 * The novel Apollo 23 says that the government did do these three cancelled Apollo missions (and two) more in secret.