The role of PLATO in the era of TESS extended missions
Tuesday
Abstract details
id
The role of PLATO in the era of TESS extended missions
Date Submitted
2021-04-30 10:43:00
Paul
Strøm
University of Warwick
Science from TESS
Contributed
P. Strøm (presenting), D. Brown, D. Pollacco
PLATO, ESA's upcoming space based exoplanet detection and characterisation mission, is set to launch at the end of 2026. Equipped with 24 highly sensitive onboard cameras in combination with a network of ground-based follow-up telescopes, the mission is destined to discover and characterise many new planets together with their host stars.
As engineers are busy building the PLATO spacecraft and scientists are designing PLATO’s data processing systems, TESS is already actively discovering new planets in their hundreds, some of them Earth-sized. With the TESS extended mission already underway, and with the prospect of potentially more TESS spacecraft being launched in the future, do we really need PLATO?
In this talk I will show that PLATO and the TESS extended mission are complementary. I will discuss the two missions’ designs and capabilities, suggest how their scientific contributions are likely to differ, and present the particular role of PLATO in driving forward exoplanet science.
All attendees are expected to show respect and courtesy to other attendees and staff, and to adhere to the NAM Code of Conduct.