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ESA have PLATO ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLATO_(spacecraft) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLATO_(spacecraft) ) Which looks very interesting. Meant to lau
by Intermernet 5y ago
ESA have PLATO ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLATO_(spacecraft) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLATO_(spacecraft) ) Which looks very interesting.
Meant to launch in 2026.
"The PLATO payload is based on a multi-telescope approach, involving 26 cameras in total: a set of 24 "normal" cameras organised in 4 groups, and a set of 2 "fast" cameras for bright stars. The 24 "normal" cameras work at a readout cadence of 25 seconds and monitor stars fainter than apparent magnitude 8. The two "fast" cameras work at a cadence of 2.5 seconds to observe stars between magnitude 4 to 8. The cameras are refracting telescopes using six lenses; each camera has an 1,100 deg2 field and a 120 mm lens diameter. Each camera is equipped with its own CCD staring array, consisting of four CCDs of 4510 x 4510 pixels.
The 24 "normal cameras" will be arranged in four groups of six cameras with their lines of sight offset by a 9.2° angle from the +ZPLM axis. This particular configuration allows surveying an instantaneous field of view of about 2,250 deg2 per pointing. The space observatory will rotate around the mean line of sight once per year, delivering a continuous survey of the same region of the sky."