Space jam 

Imagine waking up on Mars in 10 years' time.

It is cold outside - maybe -150C - and as one of the planet's first inhabitants, you have a hard day ahead of you: either mining for minerals, tending vegetables in the colony's greenhouses, or maintaining the space shuttle that brought you from Earth.

You probably want something to remind you why you made the 35-million-mile journey - and Rise to Mars! playing on the tannoy might just be it.

The anthem, commissioned by the Mars Society that promotes the settlement of the red planet, has inspiring lyrics. "Rise to Mars, men and women," it begins. "Dare to dream! Dare to strive! Build a home for our children! Make this desert come alive!"

"When people sing it and hear it," says its composer, Oscar Castellino. "I want them to dream about this future that we have: of our children, and their children, living across the solar systemThe Sun and the objects whose movement it controls., and a great step that our generation can take."

The idea of an official national anthem began in Europe in the late 18th Century, though sometimes songs were adopted that had been written much earlier: God Save the King - now God Save the Queen - was first performed in 1619. 

How soon Rise to Mars! might be sung on the planet itself is unclear.

In May, NasaThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration, responsible for the US space programme. announced plans to send two astronauts to Mars for 30 days by the late 2030s or early 2040s. Elon MuskA South African-born entrepreneur whose companies have included the online payment service PayPal. He now controls Twitter, renamed 'X'.'s company SpaceX is more optimistic - it plans for astronauts on the red planet by 2029. 

But Castellino hopes to see a performance in which people on Mars harmonise with people on Earth: "Because the Martian anthem is not about a planet - it's about our species taking a great leap forward."

Yes: To make a go of living on Mars, colonists will need a sense that the planet truly is their home - and Rise to Mars! will help them feel that. And it is catchy enough to capture the public imagination.

No: National identity does not rely on having an anthem. Today, many are criticised for being outdated, tuneless and even racist. The whole concept of national anthems should be scrapped. 

Or...  There is no point in a settlement on Mars unless it benefits Earth, so colonists should continue to think of this planet as their home. A Martian national anthem would undermine that.