"PLATO Mission: Revolutionizing Planet Hunting with Unprecedented Success"
The upcoming PLATO mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) is expected to be the most successful planet hunter ever. A recent study estimates that PLATO could detect tens of thousands of exoplanets, including a minimum of 500 Earth-sized planets and up to a dozen with favorable orbits around Sun-like stars. The study used a tool called PYPE to combine statistical approaches, planet formation models, and data from the Kepler space telescope. The results will help refine planet formation models and provide insights into the prevalence of Earth-like planets, narrowing the search for habitable worlds.