What are volatiles?
Volatiles are substances that tend to be liquids or gases at room temperature (25 °C). The principal volatiles on Mars are water and carbon dioxide. These volatiles and their dynamic behavior and history are one of the main reasons why Mars is an interesting place to study. They are also an important resource which could be utilized by future human inhabitants. 9. Why is the lander going to the Martian south polar region instead of the north? The trajectory that will be employed by MPL places a number of constraints on entry geometry which can only be met by a south polar landing for this launch opportunity. 10. Will the lander be capable of detecting life? No. The lander has no instruments designed to search for living organisms. 11. Why doesn’t the lander have instruments designed to detect life? The Mars polar lander one in a series of Mars Surveyor program missions designed to learn more about Mars’ Climate, Resources and Life. The specific scientific focus of this mission is M
