Around 3pm EST today, the Mars Polar Lander is expected to cut through Mars's atmosphere, deploy a parachute, and fire twelve thrusters, slowing from over 15,000 mph to just 5 mph, and land on the edge of the planet's southern polar cap . The $165 million, three-foot tall, 600-pound craft is equipped with a robotic arm, microphone, oven, and cameras to search for water or ice just below the frozen Martian tundra. The mission is expected to last about 90 days, but could be extended if the lander continues to operate well, as was the case with the Mars Pathfinder Mission in 1997. Expectations and hopes for this mission have been raised after the loss of the Polar Lander's sister craft ten weeks ago due to human error. The sites listed provide information about this mission.