What does the cryptic crossword clue "Russian scheme to dominate alien world being explored (9)" mean?

The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). RED (synonym="RED") + PLAN (synonym="PLAN") + ET (synonym="ET") = REDPLANET The answer is REDPLANET.

Russian scheme to dominate alien world being explored (9)

Independent Cryptic #11956 | 5 Down | 2025-02-03 flower