Sun–Earth L2
PLATO
ESA exoplanet mission planned for a 2027 launch to discover and characterize terrestrial worlds around nearby bright stars.
ESA's factsheet currently places PLATO in the planned-2027 launch window aboard Ariane 6 into a Sun–Earth L2 orbit.
View in 3D map ↗Official mission site ↗The mission
PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) is ESA's exoplanet observatory. It is designed to find and characterize terrestrial planets in the habitable zones of nearby bright stars while also studying the host stars themselves.
The launch
- Launch
- 2027
- Launch location
- Not documented
- Launch vehicle
- Ariane 6
- Orbit
- Sun–Earth L2
Mission timeline
Follow the mission through its available trajectory data in the full 3D solar-system map.
- Now
Planned launch window
2027 · Sun–Earth L2
ESA currently lists PLATO for a 2027 launch window on Ariane 6.
Open milestone source ↗Objectives
- 01
Discover terrestrial exoplanets around nearby bright stars.
- 02
Measure host-star properties to support planet characterization.
- 03
Search for habitable-zone planets with a long-duration transit survey.
Spacecraft
PLATO
ESA's transit survey observatory for exoplanet discovery and stellar characterization.
- Manufacturer
- ESA
Gallery
0 images from PLATO.
No mission imagery is available yet.
Community discussion
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