NASA’s robotics exploration of Mars will continue today with the Mars Polar Lander, which is scheduled to touch down on the red planet’s surface at 11:30 a.m.

The Polar Lander, launched on Jan. 3 of this year, will touch down near the plant’s southern polar cap and attempt to gather information on Mars’ water resources and climate.

“There’s definitely water in some fraction on Mars,” said Gary Turner, research assistant in astronomy.

The Polar Lander could gather the first physical evidence of water’s existence on Mars, possibly in the form of ice at the planet’s polar cap.

This is the second time this decade an unmanned mission will visit Mars, the first coming in 1996 when NASA’s Mars Pathfinder explored the Martian surface for signs of life.

Turner said NASA scientists are confident water exists in some form on Mars because the polar caps have been observed shrinking and expanding.

The big question is whether the ice found is made of carbon dioxide or water, Turner said.

The lander consists of a robotic arm to gather physical evidence and several devices to measure the climate, including a microphone. Coupled with the lander is a pair of microprobes called Deep Space Two.

The pair of microprobes will be released upon approaching Mars to freefall, smashing into the Martian surface.

The probes, which will drive deep into the Martian surface, are designed to search below the planet’s surface for ice.

The Polar Lander will use rockets to slow its descent to the surface.

At least one Iowa State astronomer will be paying close attention to the event today.

“I’ll be watching it on the Web if I can,” said Steve Kawaler, professor of physics and astronomy.

The Internet broadcast of the Mars Pathfinder’s reports and views of the planet’s surface in 1996 brought enormous traffic to NASA’s Web site, often causing delays in loading.

Kawaler said he thought broadcasting critical points of the mission on NASA’s Web site shows how effective the Internet can be in teaching students.

“When I was in school, the Viking missions landed on Mars, and back then there was no Internet,” he said. “You couldn’t just see what was going on like with the Mars Pathfinder.

“That was great,” Kawaler said about the Internet broadcast of the Pathfinder mission. “It’s the closest you can get without being there.”

Progress of the landing will be broadcast on the Internet at http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mirrors.html.