PLATO after installation of the sunshield and solar module
PLATO after installation of the sunshield and solar module
ESA’s PLATO spacecraft in one of the cleanrooms at ESA's ESTEC Space Research and Technology Centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, after installation of the sunshield and solar module. The probe is now ready for the final tests ahead of its planned mission launch at the end of 2026. With its 26 cameras, PLATO will detect and study Earth-like exoplanets within the habitable zones of Sun-like stars. In this photo, a blue cover protects the cameras (top) to shield the highly sensitive equipment.
Credit:
ESA – SJM Photography