Science & Exploration 23/04/2026 2079 views 28 likes The European Space Agency Plato mission has successfully completed a series of tough tests under space‑like conditions. With this accomplishment, the spacecraft is on track to lift off in early 2027 and begin its search for terrestrial planets. Plato recently emerged from the Large Space Simulator (LSS) chamber at ESA’s Test Centre , where the spacecraft made its first acquaintance with the rigours of space. Within space projects, ‘test as you fly’ is every engineer’s mantra. So before launching a spacecraft, it is crucial to check all its functionalities in the same conditions it will meet in orbit. To this end, Plato was placed inside the LSS. Once the LSS chamber’s top and side hatches were sealed, in early March, powerful pumps sucked air out of the enclosure, creating a vacuum a billion times sparser than standard atmospheric pressure. Meanwhile, liquid nitrogen pumped through the walls to reproduce the cold of space.…