End of Gaia Mission

March 28, 2025

The European Space Agency (ESA) has officially concluded its Gaia mission on March 27, 2025. Launched in December 2013, Gaia has advanced our understanding of the Milky Way galaxy. This mission has provided unprecedented vital information about the galaxy’s structure and evolution through extensive observations.

About Gaia Mission

Gaia, formerly known as the Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics, was designed to map the cosmos.
It aimed to create a detailed, three-dimensional map of the Milky Way by measuring the positions and movements of stars.
The spacecraft was stationed at the Lagrange point 2 (L2), approximately 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, allowing it to observe the universe without interference from celestial bodies.

Technological Innovations

Gaia is equipped with advanced technology, including twin telescopes and a digital camera with nearly a billion pixels. This makes it the largest camera ever flown in space. The spacecraft houses three key instruments – an astrometer, a photometer, and a spectrometer, enabling precise measurements of celestial objects.

Contributions to Astronomy

Over its operational period, Gaia collected 3 trillion observations of around 2 billion stars and celestial objects. Its data has led to over 13,000 scientific publications. Gaia has revealed the Milky Way’s complex structure, including its warped disc and central bulge. It has also brought into light the dynamic nature of the galaxy, showing how it changes over time due to gravitational interactions.

Black Holes and Asteroids

Gaia has made discoveries, including identifying a new type of black hole detectable only by its gravitational effects. This contrasts with traditional methods that rely on light emitted from surrounding materials. Additionally, Gaia has detected over 150,000 asteroids, providing valuable information about their orbits, some of which may pose future threats to Earth.

Retirement and Future Data Releases

Following its final observations, Gaia has been passivated, meaning it has been drained of energy and will not operate again. The spacecraft has transitioned to a retirement orbit around the Sun to avoid interference with future missions. A large portion of the data collected remains to be processed, with planned releases scheduled for the coming years, ensuring that Gaia’s legacy continues to benefit scientific research.

Scientific Impact and Legacy

Despite mapping only about 2% of the Milky Way’s estimated 100 billion stars, Gaia has paved the way for future explorations. The ongoing analysis of its data is expected to lead to further discoveries, enriching our understanding of the galaxy and its components.

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