TheTechno Optimist.

PLATOEuropean Space Agency—PLATO passes thermal-vacuum tests in ESA's Large Space SimulatorHeraEuropean Space Agency—ESA Hera mission targets early arrival at Didymos asteroid in November 2026 to measure DART impactJUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer)European Space Agency—JUICE completes second Earth flyby, gaining 3.5 km/s on its way to JupiterExoMars Rosalind Franklin roverEuropean Space Agency—ESA drop-tests a full-scale mock-up of the ExoMars landing platformPLATOEuropean Space Agency—PLATO completes its last environmental tests; launch set for March 2027ExoMars Rosalind Franklin roverEuropean Space Agency—NASA approves its part of the Rosalind Franklin mission and picks Falcon Heavy for a late-2028 launch

PLATO

by European Space AgencyFR

Find rocky, Earth-sized planets in the habitable zone of Sun-like stars, and measure the stars themselves well enough to know those planets' sizes, masses and ages.

ProtoStage 2 of 5

Built and through its space tests; goes to French Guiana for a March 2027 Ariane 6 launch.

Updated 20 Jul 2026Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · Launch on Ariane 6 to Sun-Earth L2
  1. Selected as ESA's M3 science mission19 Feb 2014Complete.
  2. Industrial build starts with OHB as prime contractorOct 2018Complete.
  3. Ariane 6 launch contract signed29 Jan 2025Complete.
  4. Spacecraft completed with sunshield and solar panels9 Oct 2025Complete.
  5. Environmental tests finished (vibration, vacuum, EMC)Jul 2026Complete.
  6. Launch on Ariane 6 to Sun-Earth L2Target Mar 2027+5 mooriginally Q4 2026Current milestone.

Most important updates

Upcoming

  1. Mar 2027Launch on Ariane 6 to Sun-Earth L2+5 mooriginally Q4 2026in about 20 weeks (next)
Primer