The Plato machine – with a whopping 34 telescopes – will spy on galaxies beyond the solar system looking for Earth-like planets where life might exist.

Project leader Don Pollacco, from Warwick University, said: “A few years ago this would have been science fiction but now it is coming to pass as science fact.”

Plato is being built by the European Space Agency and is due for launch in 2024. It will be capable of monitoring up to one million stars.

Science minister David Willetts said: “When we travel beyond the solar system to new worlds, the first planet may have been identified by Plato.”

Professor Pollacco added: “This is fantastic news for Europe. Plato will allow the first survey of nearby planets for indications from advanced life forms.”