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 Mars volatiles and climate. Instruments dedicated to searching for life on Mars were part of the scientific payload of the two Viking landers. Future Mars Surveyor Program missions will focus on bringing Martian rock samples back to Earth, which will be analyzed for evidence of past biologic activity. 12. Will the lander contaminate Mars with life forms from Earth? This is very unlikely. All US space missions are required to meet planetary protecti
