Status of the PLATO mission cameras: final TVAC results and performance summary for the flight models

PLATO is the M3 class ESA mission dedicated to the discovery and study of extrasolar planetary systems through the detection of planetary transits. The PLATO Payload Camera units are integrated and vibrated at CSL and then TVAC tested for thermal acceptance and performance verification at SRON, IAS and INTA. Fifteen of the twenty six Flight Cameras were delivered to ESA between June 2023 and June 2024. The remaining eleven Flight Cameras and three Flight Spares, two of which completed TVAC testing, were subsequently integrated and verified, completing the campaign. This paper provides an update following the end of the full camera test programme, with a focus on the later series models. Representative performance results and an overview of the integration and verification flow are presented, together with a final status of the camera population and key observations from carrying out a serial production style test campaign.