Just about every Iain Banks sf novel (especially if it deals with the Culture) has a good one. My favourites would probably by the orbital in Consider Phlebas, the Shellworld of Sursamen from Matter, and the outside-context problem from Excession. Of course, as Michael Flet among other has pointed out, Banks'…

There are two possibilities: Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) as mentioned by nctrns, is scheduled for 2017. And there's talk that the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) project could come back (it was shelved in 2011).