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Artist\u00a0animation\u00a0of the European Space Agency\u2019s\u00a0Plato\u00a0mission in space.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The spacecraft is\u00a0black\u00a0and\u00a0silver\u00a0and consists of three main elements.\u00a0The\u00a0top\u00a0part,\u00a0called \u2018payload\u2019,\u00a0carries\u00a026\u00a0cameras; they\u00a0are\u00a0mounted\u00a0on the spacecraft\u2019s optical bench\u00a0\u2013\u00a0the structure that keeps all cameras firmly pointed in the right direction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0boxy bottom\u00a0part,\u00a0called \u2018service module,\u2019\u00a0contains computers to operate the cameras\u2019 electronics and other critical spacecraft components; these\u00a0include\u00a0subsystems to control its orientation and orbital motion, propel it through space, distribute power, communicate with Earth, and handle data transfer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally,\u00a0the\u00a0structure\u00a0wrapping around the \u2018back\u2019\u00a0of the spacecraft and\u00a0extending outward\u00a0like a pair of\u00a0wings\u00a0supports\u00a0the\u00a0solar panels\u00a0and acts\u00a0as\u00a0a\u00a0sunshield. The\u00a0dish sticking out\u00a0at the\u00a0bottom on the\u00a0back\u00a0of\u00a0the satellite\u00a0is the high-gain antenna\u00a0used to\u00a0communicate\u00a0with ground\u00a0stations.<\/p>\n
Plato will use all its cameras simultaneously to stare at the sky and discover planets that orbit stars\u00a0similar to\u00a0our Sun, searching for potentially habitable worlds.\u00a0The mission\u00a0is designed to\u00a0study thousands of exoplanets in detail, focussing on terrestrial ones, and uncover exomoons and rings around them. Plato will also\u00a0fundamentally\u00a0advance our understanding of the interior and evolution of stars by monitoring tiny intensity variations in the starlight it receives.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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