ESA's PLATO mission will start searching for Earth-like exoplanets in 2026
ESA's PLATO mission will start searching for Earth-like exoplanets in 2026
The major ESA mission PLATO (Planetary Transits and Oscillations of Stars) will open a new chapter in the search for extrasolar planets when it is launched in 2026. The scientific payload of the space telescope is the responsibility of an international consortium led by Rauer of the DLR Institute of Planetary Research. PLATO consists of 26 individual telescopes and cameras and will be the first instrument capable of finding planets the size of Earth in the 'habitable', life-friendly zone of Sun-like stars.
