‘We could find aliens with £1bn telescope’

A £1bn (€1.22bn) European space telescope to be launched in 2024 raises the real prospect of finding an alien civilisation among the stars, it is claimed.

Astronomer Don Pollacco, heading a consortium of scientists involved in the Plato mission, believes such a momentous discovery could happen in the next 15 years.

Signs of pollution in an Earth-like planet’s atmosphere would indicate the existence of an industrial society — and alter our world view for ever.