A project developed at the Canadian Space Agency in St. Hubert could help determine whether there's water ice on Mars - an indicator of life on the Red Planet.

With twin rovers already on route to Mars, NASA announced this week it has selected its next robotic lander, a project that for the first time includes major Canadian involvement.

Scheduled for launch in 2007, the Phoenix lander is to touch down on the high polar regions of the Red Planet in the summer of 2008. The lander is expected to dig deep trenches to search for potential huge reservoirs of water ice.

Carrying out the first study of the polar climate of another planet, Canadian scientists will measure Martian weather conditions using laser radar (lidar) technologies developed by MD Robotics, based in Brampton, Ont., and Optech Inc. of Toronto.

The instrument package will include a meteorological station that will study the dust and ice clouds in Mars's atmosphere.

"This is wonderful recognition of Canada's leading role in atmospheric science and the advancement of lidar technology," said Allan Carswell, physics professor at York University and head of the Canadian research team.

Rising from the ashes of the last failed attempt to land on Mars, Phoenix is the resurrected and improved twin of the doomed Polar lander that crashed on arrival in 1999.

The Phoenix mission is the first for NASA's lower-cost Mars Scout Program. The mission's total cost is expected to be $325 million U.S. Canada's contribution will be about $14.3 million U.S.

"NASA's selection of the Phoenix team for the Mars 2007 Scout Mission is recognition of Canada's world renowned technology and leading space science expertise," said Marc Garneau, president of the Canadian Space Agency.

The agency has been instrumental in developing Canada's share of the Phoenix mission and is expected to continue its involvement through to launch and the collection of data.

Canadian researchers hope their participation in the Phoenix project will lead to more partnerships with NASA in other Mars missions. Canadian participation in a 2009 Mars rover mission is currently under discussion with NASA.

Canadian expertise is already on its way to Mars, with instruments aboard the Japanese Nozomi spacecraft, destined to go into orbit in early 2004. The Phoenix mission, however, will be the first time Canadian-built science will actually touch down on the Martian surface.

On the Web: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/

Andrew Fazekas is a science writer and lecturer. His monthly Stargazing column appears Aug. 16 in the Weekender section.