CoRoT: A First Space-Based Transiting Survey to Explore the Close-In Planets Populations

The CoRoT (COnvection, internal ROtation and Transiting planets) space mission was launched in the last days of 2006, becoming the first major space mission dedicated to the search for and study of exoplanets, as well as doing the same for asteroseismological studies of stars. Designed as a small mission, it became highly successful, with, among other things discovering the first planet proved by the measurements of its radius and mass to be definitely “Rocky” or Earth like in its composition and the first close-in brown dwarf with a measured radius. Designed for a lifetime of 3 years, it survived in a 900 km orbit around the Earth for 6 years discovering in total 37 planetary systems or brown dwarfs, as well as about 100 planet candidates and 2269 eclipsing binaries, detached or in contact. In total, CoRoT acquired 177,454 light curves, varying in duration from about 30–150 days. CoRoT was also a pioneer in the organization and archiving of such an exoplanetary survey. The development and utilization of this spacecraft have left a legacy of knowledge, both as what concerns the scientific objectives and the technical know-how, that is currently being utilized in the construction of the European CHEOPS and PLATO missions.