Russian space agency Roscosmos will sign a deal on Thursday with the European Space Agency (ESA), to become a full-fledged partner in the ExoMars project, which is a new attempt to discover if there is life on the Red Planet.

The mission will drill 30 times deeper beneath the surface of Mars than the currently operating Curiosity rover.

Russia will supply the mission with two Proton-M rocket carriers, and facilitate launches from the Baikonur site in Kazakhstan. Russian scientists are also engaged in creating scientific instruments for the mission, including a landing platform for the rover.