ESA - European Space Agency
ESA - European Space Agency
05/08/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/08/2026 08:07
Media invitation: Final chance to see Europe’s planet-hunting satellite Plato in cleanroom
On 20 May, journalists are invited to a one-off opportunity to see the European Space Agency's Plato satellite in the cleanroom at ESTEC in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
ESA's mission Plato, PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars, aims to discover potentially habitable, Earth-like planets around bright stars similar to the Sun. It will use its 26 cameras to determine the sizes of exoplanets and discover exomoons and rings around them.
Plato recently emerged from the Large Space Simulator (LSS) chamber at ESA's Test Centre, where the spacecraft successfully completed a series of tough tests under space-like conditions. The satellite is on track to lift off in early 2027 on board an Ariane 6 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana and begin its search for terrestrial planets.
Media are invited to meet the team, including ESA and industry experts, and view this spacecraft that will hunt for rocky planets in the habitable zones of other stars.
Schedule (all times in CEST, subject to last minute changes)
Journalists will visit the Test Centre and view the clean room with Plato inside. Photos and videos are allowed and will be checked by security. There will also be the opportunity to interview several ESA and industry experts throughout the afternoon.
Further information on the programme and speakers will be shared in due course.
Media registration
Please register your attendance here: https://blogs.esa.int/forms/esa-media-briefing-form before Monday 18 May.
Spaces are limited, so we will confirm your participation and additional information on the programme shortly after this deadline.
For additional information please contact [email protected].
More information
ESA's Photo Library for Professionals: https://www.esa-photolibrary.com/
Terms and conditions for using ESA images: www.esa.int/spaceinimages/ESA_Multimedia/Copyright_Notice_Images
For questions or more information related to ESA images, please contact directly [email protected]
Videos
ESA's Video Library for Professionals: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos
Terms and conditions for using ESA video: www.esa.int/spaceinimages/ESA_Multimedia/Copyright_Notice_Images
For questions or more information related to ESA videos, please contact directly [email protected]
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About the European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe's gateway to space.
ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
ESA has 23 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia are Associate Members.
ESA has established formal cooperation with three Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.
By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.
Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int.
ESA - European Space Agency published this content on May 08, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 08, 2026 at 14:07 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]