Die TÜV NORD GROUP spielt mit ihrem Tochterunternehmen, ALTER eine entscheidende Rolle in der PLATO-Mission der European Space Agency (ESA). Diese Mission, die 2026 starten soll, wird das Universum mit einer neuen Generation von Weltraumteleskopen erforschen und die Suche nach erdähnlichen Planeten revolutionieren.
The TÜV NORD GROUP and its subsidiary, ALTER, are playing a crucial role in the PLATO mission of the European Space Agency (ESA). This mission, scheduled to launch in 2026, will use a new generation of space telescopes to explore the universe and revolutionise the search for Earth-like planets.
The PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) mission is an ambitious project which aims to advance our understanding of planetary systems and their evolution. The PLATO space telescope is equipped with 26 high-precision cameras. It will observe hundreds of thousands of stars with the aim of identifying small dips in brightness. These dips may be indicative of the existence of exoplanets, planets that orbit stars other than our Sun. These could potentially offer conditions that would support life. The PLATO mission will not only pave the way to the discovery of new planets but also undertake precise measurements of the host stars to determine their size, mass and age.
ALTER is playing a key role in the PLATO mission. The company coordinated the selection of technologies, material sourcing and all related testing to meet the stringent mission requirements.
On 24 February 2026, ALTER will team up with the Agencia Espacial Española in Seville to host the PLATO Forum with the title “One Project, Many Perspectives”. This event will bring together leading experts from ESA, the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial “Esteban Terradas”, the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC) and representatives of the space industry. The aim of the forum is to discuss the project’s various phases and to shed light on the challenges that have been overcome for the mission to reach its current state.
“We’re proud to be part of one of Europe's most ambitious scientific missions,” says David Nunez, head of the semiconductor division at ALTER. “The PLATO mission will redefine European astronomy and significantly expand our knowledge of the universe,” Mr Nunez continues.
The PLATO mission will be launched into orbit in 2026 on an Ariane 6 rocket and positioned at Lagrange point 2, 1.5 million kilometres from Earth. This strategic positioning will allow it to observe very many stars and advance the search for a second Earth.
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