Moscow: Russia is to launch a special satellite this year in search for extraterrestrial civilisations in remote galaxies.

The Spektr R (Spectrum-Roentgen) x-ray satellite to be launched later this will carry a 20-metre antenna for the study of galaxies and extraterrestrial civilisations.

"It would be arrogant of us to presume that human beings are the only life in the universe," Georgy Polishchuk of the Lavochkin Research and Production Enterprise was quoted as saying by ITAR-TASS.

Polishchuk, who heads the Moscow-based enterprise, said that Lavochkin was also working on interplanetary missions.

"In 2009 we plan a mission to Phobos, a satellite of Mars, which will include a landing and collection of rock samples," he said.

According to him this one-way journey would take 11 months, while the second Martian mission planned for 2012 would involve a landing on the Red Planet.

Polishchuk, however, conceded that a manned mission to Mars will only be possible after 2020.

Lavochkin is also planning to send probes to the Moon after 2010.

"After 2010-12 it will be possible to circumnavigate the Moon, make a landing on it and deploy a Moon rover for an excursion," Polishchuk believes.