Perhaps man lived on mars at one time and destroyed that plant, much like we are destroying the one we live on now.
Nuclear holocaust?
Followed by nuclear winter and the death of all life on the planet?
Perhaps a few people (Adam and Eve??) were sent to a neighboring planet (earth) and the whole process of life was started again, at least in the human sense.
Kind of like "Noah's Ark" in the bible. Exception being that this ark had rocket propulsion and could withstand space travel.
Just a thought...