A team of international researchers are aiming to drill into the Earth’s mantle for the first time ever.

Using a Japanese drill boat, they hope to drill through into ocean floor — where the Earth’s crust is thinner — and begin excavation by the early 2020s, the Japan News reported.

The researchers want to investigate the mantle itself and if micro-organisms exist within it. They need to identify an apt drilling site and find $542m in funding for the research to proceed, Engadget reports.