Chinese scientists have started a ground-breaking project in China’s Xinjiang region.

They are drilling a 10,000-meter hole into the Earth’s crust. In order to reach the Earth’s cretaceous system, which contains rock formations dating back as far as 145 million years, this mammoth endeavor must travel through more than ten layers of rock.

A physicist from the Chinese Academy of Engineering likened the difficulty of this project to the difficulty of controlling a huge vehicle on two flimsy steel cables.

This effort, which is driven by President Xi Jinping’s desire for improvements in deep Earth exploration, intends to uncover new energy resources and improve our knowledge of the hazards associated with environmental disasters. It has the ability to provide insightful information and open the door for new scientific discoveries.