Are there planetary systems similar to ours and how are they evolving? Is there a second Earth? The answers to these questions will soon be provided by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) space mission, which will launch into space at the end of 2026. The main objectives of the mission will be to search for Earth-like planets in stars like our Sun. In June 2025, an important milestone was reached when all 26 cameras, including the electronics, were successfully installed by OHB in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany on the body of the satellite. These will operate the instrument in space and communicate with Earth. The German Aerospace Exploration Agency (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) is the scientific leader of the mission.
The Czech Republic is actively involved in the mission in hardware and software development, as well as in the scientific field.
More: web ASU (in Czech)
Contacts and more information
- RNDr. Petr Kabáth, Ph.D.; Astronomický ústav AV ČR, Stelární oddělení; e-mail: petr.kabath@asu.cas.cz
- Pavel Suchan; Tiskový tajemník Astronomického ústavu AV ČR, tel: 737 322 815, e-mail: pavel.suchan@asu.cas.cz
- Tisková zpráva ke stažení (DOC, in Czech)
