PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars (PLATO) is the third medium-class mission in ESA's Cosmic Vision programme. Its objective is to find and study a large number of extrasolar planetary systems, with emphasis on the properties of terrestrial planets in the habitable zone around solar-like stars
Some scientific projects require observations outside the Earth's atmosphere, for which balloons or artificial satellites are necessary. These missions and experiments are carried out with scientific instruments developed by large international consortiums. Since its inception, the IAC has been participating in this type of projects, developing on-board instrumentation and instrumentation for ground segments.