Mars is known for its polar ice caps, which are primarily composed of frozen carbon dioxide, or dry ice, but beneath these caps lies a significant amount of water ice. In 2008, NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander made a groundbreaking discovery when it confirmed the existence of water ice in the Martian soil. This exciting revelation showed us that the Red Planet is not only a place of geological wonders but also a potential reservoir of essential resources for future missions. Stream Becoming Martian on

Cloudy with a chance of Martian ice and dust This supercomputer simulation shows the climate on Mars over the course of one year, spanning from spring through winter in the northern hemisphere. In the visualization, water-ice clouds are gray, while dust is yellow and frozen carbon dioxide is white. As the ice caps in the north shrink, they grow in the south. As fall arrives, a dust storm encircles the entire planet. | NASA Ames Research Center