Weather, climate, and the water cycle on Earth are studied by comparing the results of thousands of individual studies conducted using a vast variety of instruments in many different locations. Exploration of other planets requires a much more selective process. With each rare opportunity to study Mars, this being only the fourth in human history, scientific investigators must carefully decide what instruments to send and where to send them. For the study of volatiles and climate, the polar regions of Mars are ideal sites . The poles are where the seasonal extremes occur, where the volatiles interact with the surface, where the climate changes are recorded, and where buried volatiles are most likely to be found. The polar environment is more severe than the landing sites of previous missions and less is known about the site to ensure the safety of the spacecraft, but the exploration of this new territory will be an exciting and significant step in Mars research.

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