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Plato readies for space-like tests
The European Space Agency’s mission to discover Earth-like exoplanets, Plato, is currently sealed in the Large Space Simulator (LSS) chamber at ESA’s Test Centre for…
PLATO passes vibe check
PLATO successfully passed a first round of tests designed to ensure that the spacecraft is fit for launch. As this…
Completed PLATO spacecraft is ready for final tests
By fitting its sunshield and solar panels, engineers have completed the construction of Plato, the European Space Agency’s mission to discover…
PLATO spreads its wings
By fitting its sunshield and solar panels, engineers recently completed the construction of PLATO, the European Space Agency’s mission to discover Earth-like exoplanets. …
PLATO arrived at ESA’s test centre by boat
The European Space Agency’s PLATO spacecraft has safely arrived at ESTEC, ESA’s technical heart in the Netherlands. There, engineers will…
Stephanie Werner
Role: Member of the PLATO Board; PSM Member work in progress
Petr Kabath
Role: Member of the PLATO Board; PSM Member work in progress
Plato’s eyes meet brain
On 11 June, engineers at OHB’s facilities in Germany joined together the two main parts of ESA’s Plato mission. They used a…
Planet hunter Plato to fly on Ariane 6
Today, the European Space Agency (ESA) Director of Science, Carole Mundell, ESA Director of Space Transportation, Toni Tolker-Nielsen, and Arianespace Chief Commercial…
First PLATO Camera
The activities to integrate PLATO’s cameras have started in OHB’s Space Centre & Optics facility in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. One by one the…
Ten Camera Flight Models ready for integration: names unveiled
How many earth-like planets orbit the habitable zone of solar-like stars? How planets form and evolve in their planetary systems?…
The PLATO Steering Committee visits ESTEC during the Structural Model test campaign
The PLATO Steering Committee had the opportunity to visit the ESA ESTEC facility during a test campaign of the Satellite…
The SWT visits ESTEC during the Structural Model test campaign
The PLATO SWT had the opportunity to visit the ESA ESTEC facility during a test campaign of the Satellite Structural…
ESA’s exoplanet missions
More than 5000 exoplanets have been discovered to date, but what do they look like? ESA’s dedicated exoplanet missions Cheops,…
Christian Magliano
Role: TOU Performance & Test Engineer; PSM Member Christian Magliano is a Ph.D. student at the Physics Department of the…
Alessandro Lanzafame
Role: PSM Member Alessandro Lanzafame is Associate Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Catania. He received his…
Claudio Arena
Role: Camera System MAIV engineer Claudio Arena graduated from UCL in 2016 with a degree in Astrophysics. He then completed a…
Marina Vela Nunez
Role: ICU assembly, integration and test verification (AIT/AIV) engineer Marina Vela Nunez is a Researcher at National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF),…
PLATO PLM Lifting @RUAG
PLATO PLM Lifting Structural Thermal Model of PLATO Optical Bench. It is a part of the PLATO Payload Module. Activities…
Planet-hunting eye of Plato
Key technology for ESA’s exoplanet-hunting Plato spacecraft has passed a trial by vacuum to prove the mission will work as…
ESA’s new renders and animations of PLATO
Artist’s impression of ESA’s PLATO spacecraft. The new renders and animations of PLATO are now online on the ESA’s Multimedia…
Eleonora Alei
Role: PSM Member I am currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Padua (Italy) with a fellowship at INAF…
Luca Fossati
Role: PSM Member Dr. Luca Fossati (Msc Physics, 2004; PhD in Astrophysics, 2009) is the leader of the exoplanet research group…
PLATO’s eye
PLATO combined cameras will have an extremely wide field of view, covering a total area on the sky of approximately…
Luca Malavolta
Role: Leader of the PSM WPs 131 250 and 131 320 I obtained the Master degree in Astronomy in 2009 and the…
Jesus Maldonado
Role: Contributor of the PSM WPs 131.220 and 123.000 Academic formation: Degree in Physics, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, June 2005 PhD…
Sara Bonito
Role: Contributor of the PSM WP 160 Rosaria (Sara) Bonito obtained her PhD in Physics in 2008 at the University…
Mario Giuseppe Guarcello
Role: Collaborator of the WPs 13 and 16 I graduated at the University of Palermo in 2006 and obtained my…
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