Easter eggs

Hello, Commander! I see you're player too! - Paradox Interactive positive Standing greeting

Easter eggs are inside jokes and references to popular culture, included for the player's amusement.

Mission Sponsors[edit]

All Mission Sponsors were shown as their real life (or fictional) counterparts in the Gamescom demo of Surviving Mars.

SpaceY

Inspired by SpaceX.

Church of the New Ark

Inspired by the Latter Day Saints movement.

Blue Sun Corporation

Inspired by Weyland Corporation from Alien vs. Predator, and a direct name reference to Firefly/Serenity.

Inner Light: Reference to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode of the same name.
Beyond Earth: Rede Goddenberry is a reference to scifi writer Gene Roddenberry, best known for creating Star Trek. Title could also be a reference to Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth, spiritual successor to Alpha Centauri.
Artificial Intelligence: NetSky is an anagram for Skynet from the Terminator series.

Catch-a-Ride!: Reference to Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster. Fittingly the SpaceY Mission Sponsor has an additional Story Bit choice.
Comet Sighted: Reference to games developed by Paradox Development Studio.
Dormant Life: Reference to the Jurassic Park series.
Fhtagn! Fhtagn!: Reference to H. P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu.
Flat Mars Society: Reference to the Flat Earth Society and Mike Hughes' failed rocket launch attempt.
Gaming Tournament: Reference to StarCraft.
Hello Darkness, My Old Friend: Reference to Monty Python's Flying Circus.
Iron-Oxidizing Bacteria: Reference to Dr. Strangelove.
Total Recall: Reference to the movie of the same name.
Water Chip: Reference to the Fallout series.
Witness me!: Reference to Mad Max: Fury Road.

Goodbye and thanks for all the drones!: Reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy.
I don't want to set the world on fire.: Reference to a song of the same name by The Ink Spots, used as the main theme for Fallout 3.

I used to be an astrogeologist like you, but then I took an asteroid in the sensor tower. (positive Standing greeting for Astrogeologist Commander Profiles): Reference to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Hello, Commander. How are things going in your colony? Do you want us to sell you not-a-flamethrower already? (SpaceY neutral Standing greeting): Reference to Elon Musk's Not-a-Flamethrower.
Greetings. Listen carefully, for our words are backed with NUCLEAR WEAPONS! (India negative Standing greeting): Reference to the "Nuclear Gandhi" bug from Civilization.
All your base are belong to us! (Japan resource request refusal): Reference to Zero Wing.

Hawking Institute: Tribute to theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. Originally called Science Institute, the building was renamed following his death.
Please don't go. The drones need you. They look up to you.: Exit message; word-for-word reference to a voice clip played when exiting Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri - though in the original case, "drones" refers to your citizens rather than automated workers.