B.B.C. Article
A telescope to find thousands of planets beyond our Solar System is the hot favourite for selection as Europe's next medium-class science mission.
Known as Plato, the concept was chosen by an expert panel as the standout candidate in a competition run by the European Space Agency (Esa).
The Paris-based organisation's Science Policy Committee will now have the final say at its meeting in February.
If given the go-ahead, Plato would probably not launch until 2024.
The name of the mission is an acronym that stands for PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars.
It is not really one telescope but rather a suite of 34 telescopes mounted on a single satellite.

(Continues)