PLATO
NextVulcain 2.1 IgnitionT-00:07
The mission
Plato, for PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars, is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission with 26 cameras to study terrestrial exoplanets in orbits up to the habitable zone of Sun-like stars. Its goal is to measure the sizes of exoplanets and discover exomoons and rings around them, as well as characterise planets' host stars by studying tiny light variations in the starlight it receives.
Mission timeline
Vulcain 2.1 Ignition
Main-stage Vulcain 2.1 engine ignition before liftoff
- Vulcain 2.1 IgnitionT-00:0711:59 PM UTC
Where it leaves Earth
Launch site
Ground vector
Ariane Launch Area 4
Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
- Latitude
- 5.256°N
- Longitude
- 52.787°W
Can I see this?
Distance and a plain visibility call from a place you choose. Trajectory is not modeled — night launches travel farther across the sky than daylight ones.
Save a viewing place to judge this pad from where you stand.
Range weather
Launch commit criteria
Clear — tracking no weather issues at this time.
- Primary concern
- No weather issues
- Rule count
- 0
- Temperature
- Not reported
- Surface wind
- Not reported
12:00 AM UTC – 12:00 AM UTC
Vehicle & provider
Schedule history
No meaningful launch-time or status changes recorded.