The PLATO mission

Abstract

PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) is theM3 mission of the European SpaceAgency (ESA) and designed to detect and characterize extrasolar planets. PLATO will providesmall planets around bright stars, including terrestrial planets in the habitable zone of solar-likestars. PLATO will characterize these planets for their radius, mass, and age with high accuracy.PLATO is currently scheduled for a launch date end 2026. Its payload consists of 26 cameraswith 12cm aperture each. For at least four years, the missionwill perform high-precision, long-termphotometric and asteroseismic monitoring of a large numberof stars to detect extrasolar planetsand derive their radii and ages. The satellite data are complemented by a ground-based observingprogram to derive the planetary masses.The missions catalogue of well-characterized small planets at intermediate orbital periods willbe an important constraint to planet formation theories andwill provide targets for future spec-troscopy follow-up observations to characterize planetary atmospheres. These data will be a signif-icant step forward to address the key questions on how planets form and evolve and how frequentrocky planets suitable for the development of life have formed in our milky way.