Talk:PLATO (spacecraft)

To add

Could clarify :

• is the annual rotation smooth or in steps of what duration
• what spectral response, any filters
• why refracting rather than reflecting telescopes
• can we link to a diagram of the field of view of the 26 cameras over a year
• - Rod57 (talk) 05:28, 17 January 2022 (UTC)

• The satellite will be rotated around the mean line of sight by 90° every 3 months, resulting in a continuous survey of exactly the same region of the sky. (eoPortal.org)
• Spectral range: 500 – 1000 nm. There are 26 identical cameras but 2 are "fast" cameras which also work as fine guidance sensors for the attitude control system of the Spacecraft. In addition they allow measurements of stars in two spectral bands. For this purpose one of the “fast” cameras is equipped with a blue, the other one with a red bandpass filter. (eoPortal.org)
• Refracting instead of reflecting because of the combined accurancy and Field of Viewr required in the mission: 26 telescopes with an aperture of only 12 cm cover each 1000 deg2 (AIP.de)
• Info & diagrams: https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/p/plato - https://www.aip.de/en/research/projects/plato/
  Pippo skaio (talk) 16:50, 18 January 2022 (UTC)

@Pippo skaio: thanks. Good refs, I'll try to use them if no one beats me to it.

1st ref shows diagram of multiple regions of sky (each with at least 9-12 months of observation). One includes the Kepler target region. Not sure where on that diagram is the Southern deep field shown in the 2nd ref.

Still looking for detailed justification for refracting over reflecting telescopes. Was it to save mass or cost? Kepler and WFIRST are reflectors. TESS doesn't say ! - Rod57 (talk) 13:34, 24 January 2022 (UTC)

Costs and UK contribution

What is total cost or budget (of PLATO, or of class-M projects in general) ? Seems UK is contributing £25 M [1] - Rod57 (talk) 12:59, 24 January 2022 (UTC)