The Russian and Italian space agencies have joined forces on the first mission to drill deep beneath the surface of Mars in 2018 and explore the geological composition of the planet's crust, Italian Space Agency (ASI) President Roberto Battiston told Sputnik.

The joint Russian-Italian project is scheduled for 2018. It marks the first time that any nation or joint project between nations will carry out deep drilling beneath the Martian surface, Battiston noted.

"The launch of 2016 was a great success. We are preparing for the next one that will bring to Mars a lander with a driller, which for the first time will go very deep under the surface of Mars," Battiston said on Tuesday at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs.

Battiston is the chair of General Physics at the University of Trento and is a member of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, the governmental committee advising Italy's minister of research.

Italy Hopes for New Joint Projects With Russia on Microsatellites
Italy's space program would like to extend its technological cooperation with Russia into the fields of microsatellites and orbiting swarms or constellations of satellites, Battiston told Sputnik.

"We are supporting stronger collaboration in new area in micro satellites and constellations," Battiston said on Tuesday at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs.

"I think this will be a very interesting area in which to collaborate."

Battiston also noted that the ASI maintained close and continuous coordination with Russia's federal space agency Roscosmos and its chief Igor Komarov.

"We are in regular discussion with Mr. Komarov and Roscosmos. We keep contact on a regular basis."

Source: Sputnik News