NASA and the European Space Agency will search together for signs of life on Mars, the U.S. space administration announced Thursday.
They will collaborate on the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover, an ESA-led mission that will launch in 2028 to explore Mars
Under terms of the deal, NASA will provide special heaters and unique parts of the rover propulsion system that are required to land on Mars.
The rover will be the first to drill to a depth of up to 6.5 feet below the surface to collect ice samples that have been protected from surface radiation and extreme temperatures,
"NASA supports the Rosalind Franklin mission to continue the strong partnership between the United States and Europe to explore the unknown in our solar system and beyond."
NASA is also using key German and French technology and experience to contribute to the rover's primary science instrument
the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer, which will be at the heart of the search for the building blocks of life in Martian soil samples.
The project price tag has spiked from $5 billion to more than $11 billion.