clipped from: www.redorbit.com 
Mars has not given up its secrets easily. Named after the Roman god of war, it has punished previous attempts to investigate its mysteries, and millions of pounds of hi-tech equipment has been lost. So next Sunday scientists will be holding their breath as they send their 200m probe final instructions before it attempts a complicated landing at the planet's north pole.
It has taken more than 30 years and numerous missions to our closest neighbour to discover that frozen water lies just underneath a quarter of the Martian surface, which could indicate if the planet has ever supported life.
"We are zeroing in on whether there was life on Mars. But a lot can go wrong. I'm starting to turn a little gooey."
The catch is that it is speeding towards the mysterious red planet at 6,000 mph, which will increase to 13,000mph as it is captured by Martian gravity. It will then have just minutes to reduce this speed to zero.