CCD sensors for the PLATO mission
CCD sensors for the PLATO mission
Four of these light-sensitive semiconductor elements, known in technical jargon as CCDs (Charge-Coupled Devices), are arranged in the focal plane of each of the 26 cameras. The combined area of all these light-sensitive detectors is approximately 80 cm x 80 cm, making it the largest ever used in a space instrument. For comparison: the light-sensitive area of the Gaia satellite was only half that size. The ESA space telescope Gaia surveyed the entire sky from 2013 to 2025.
