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Gaia

Gaia was ESA's 2013-2025 astrometry observatory. From a Lissajous orbit around Sun-Earth L2 it made more than three trillion measurements of nearly two billion stars and other objects, creating the most precise multidimensional map of the Milky Way; DPAC continues transforming the full mission archive into successive catalogues.

Gaia
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Identity

Aliases
ESA GaiaGaia billion-star surveyorGlobal Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics
Name
Gaia
Status
completed

Details

Astronauts
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Description
Gaia was ESA's 2013-2025 astrometry observatory. From a Lissajous orbit around Sun-Earth L2 it made more than three trillion measurements of nearly two billion stars and other objects, creating the most precise multidimensional map of the Milky Way; DPAC continues transforming the full mission archive into successive catalogues.
End Date
2025-03-27
Launch Site
Outcome
Successful. Gaia completed 10.5 years of science observations, measured nearly two billion objects more than three trillion times, transformed Milky Way astrometry through multiple data releases, and was safely moved from L2 into a heliocentric retirement orbit and passivated on March 27, 2025. Final legacy catalogues remain in processing.
Start Date
2013-12-19
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Creation Time
April 26, 2026 at 14:16:51 UTC
Updated Time
July 29, 2026 at 08:53:03 UTC

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