First Woman of Mars: Science Fiction

She had no objections to returning to Mars. It was something she'd always dreamed of. She was The First Woman of Mars! after all. She'd signed up for the PR junket after her voyage as much as she'd signed up for the years of education and training and conditioning and psychological screening. It was part of being an official space-goer. She hadn't quite realized that she would be so popular that a decade after becoming The First Woman of Mars, she still wouldn't have been approved for another mission. She knew that she shouldn't feel envious. So many of her classmates, just as talented and skilled and vetted, never got a mission at all. She knew that her best value was as a face (The Face of Mars!) and a trained speaking voice forever touting the benefits of the program. That was how she'd met her soon-to-be husband, after all. The millionaire was a space enthusiast, and he'd volunteered up time and resources and money to help support the program. So it was only natural she be seated next to him.


Inspiration: Misread Scientific American's "Millionaire Plans Manned Mission to Mars in 2018" as "Millionaire Plans Marriage on Mars" etc.
Story potential: High.
Notes: Groomzilla. He is dead-set on being married on Mars, to The First Woman of Mars. Complications ensue, but a happy ending is found. The real question here is how to make the science fictional aspects integral to the plot and not have this just be a rom-com that happens to be set on Mars.