ESA selects planet-hunting PLATO mission

[Waspie_Dwarf]

ESA selects planet-hunting PLATO mission

19 February 2014 A space-based observatory to search for planets orbiting alien stars has been selected today as ESA’s third medium-class science mission. It is planned for launch by 2024.

The PLATO – Planetary Transits and Oscillations of stars – mission was selected by ESA’s Science Programme Committee for implementation as part of its Cosmic Vision 2015–25 Programme.

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[Konga]

Thank you! What a swell way to go. This will be usefull in our way to seek for other planets like ours, I believe

[Rolci]

2024? I thought we would be travelling to them by then...

[dazdillinjah]

This is 'completely ridiculous' my God yes its time for a killer Solar Flare (because there is no other [better] way to wipe out 'ridiculous' than to start over)

[Lilly]

This is 'completely ridiculous' my God yes its time for a killer Solar Flare (because there is no other [better] way to wipe out 'ridiculous' than to start over)

Why is it "ridiculous" to send out a probe to look for planets? Why do you advocate a "killer Solar Flare" ?

[+Noteverythingisaconspiracy]

This is 'completely ridiculous' my God yes its time for a killer Solar Flare (because there is no other [better] way to wipe out 'ridiculous' than to start over)

Why does a ESA sattelite programme makes you want to have people killed ?

If you are from Auckland you dont even have to pay for the sattelite, because ESA is a European agency.

[maximusnow]

My Selfish post: I do see this as a waste or foreplay. I have, maybe 30 years left on this planet (maybe?) I would love to see the world pull together and build something unbelievable! Our bodies are fragile, but our sight can time travel as fast and distant, as we are willing to look. Build a Telescope of titanic size and power. We are going to see a 30M / 100ft diameter telescope very soon, but why stop there? Why not a 300m / 1000ft or larger, that would zoom in on the grains of sands, on those planets? This would change everything; imagine we see them, whatever they are? What cures would we learn from them or what could we help them cure? I know we have limitations but we could do this! WTH? Stop the foreplay and get to funding! Sorry.....needed to vent! PS... If they were hostile, we would not be discussing this!

-Maximus

Edited February 24, 2014 by maximusnow

[Waspie_Dwarf]

I would love to see the world pull together and build something unbelievable!

-Maximus

The problem is that "something unbelievable" is such a subjective comment as to render your argument totally meaningless. What you personally find "unbelievable" may seem totally mundane to others and vice versa.

To me, the fact that we can now detect planets orbiting other stars is an almost "unbelievable" feat of science. It is something we couldn't achieve until 1995, we now have over 1,000 confirmed and over 3,800 candidates. This is a truly remarkable achievement.

The search for exoplanets is not just an achievement of science, it has massive philosophical significance too. The question, "what is our place in the universe?" has been asked since we first turned our eyes to the skies. Plato won't give us a definitive answer to that, but it will help put another piece in the puzzle.

Putting another piece in the puzzle is the way that science works. It's not here to wow people for entertainment, it is here to answer questions, to search for the truth. As such it looks at what has been answered before, leading to new questions. It works piece by piece, building on what is already known.

If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.

- Sir Isaac Newton (1643 - 1727)

[Calibeliever]

If anything is living on them they should be very thankful we haven't developed interstellar capabilities yet.

[maximusnow]

The problem is that "something unbelievable" is such a subjective comment as to render your argument totally meaningless. What you personally find "unbelievable" may seem totally mundane to others and vice versa.

- Sir Isaac Newton (1643 - 1727)

Mundane? Well I never! Lol… Yes, I can see that if you only read (Something unbelievable) out of my comment, that you might say it “is such a subjective comment as to render your argument totally meaningless. What you personally find "unbelievable" may seem totally mundane to others and vice versa.” So let me break it down for you, I believe we should explore the newly discovered planets rather than count them. I also started my comment, with Selfish! This was to warn the reader that my comment may not be the correct scientific method of discovery, but it is my selfish desire to discover what I want, faster, me-Me-ME. I can see by your vocabulary that you’re probably extremely intelligent and that you’re educated in the proper formalities of argumentative literature, sir. Thank you for helping me make my point without leaving the readers dumbfounded.

Good day-> Sir,

Maximus