In December 2013, the Gaia satellite of the European Space Agency (ESA) took off from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou aboard a Soyuz-STB rocket. Scientific observations began in July 2014. 11 years later, “ Gaia ceases her observations » headlines the Paris Observatory.
« Today we mark the end of scientific observations, and we celebrate this incredible mission which exceeded all our expectations, with a lifespan almost twice that initially planned. “, explains Carole Mundell of the European Space Agency.
The mission of the satellite was to “ build the most detailed and accurate map of the Milky Way ». More Gaia « did not stick only to the stars of our galaxy. It also scanned other objects: from nearby asteroids in the Solar System to galaxies far, far away in the Milky Way. ».
A first dataset from Gaia observatories was published in 2016 under the name DR1 (Data Release 1), including the position in the sky of more than a billion stars. In 2018, it was the turn of the second DR2 dataset, with no less than 1.7 billion stars. We go to almost two billion with the DR3 catalog in 2022.
-« To date, there have been more than 13,000 publications detailing the scientific results of the mission: a record number! », welcomes the Paris Observatory. And it’s not over since Gaia DR4 and DR5 are expected, with details on exoplanets, black holes, ” and an even more precise knowledge of the Milky Way “. Gaia also detected a black hole “ which should not exist ».
The Gaia DR4 catalog will cover five and a half years of observation. It is expected by the end of 2026 and should contain 550 TB of data. As for DR5, it will encompass the entire ten and a half years of observation and should be put online around “ the end of the decade ».
The satellite itself must carry out final operations: “ After several weeks of tests, Gaia will leave its current orbit around the Lagrange point L2 (1.5 million km from the Earth in the direction opposite the Sun), to be placed on its final heliocentric orbit, far from the sphere of influence of the Earth. The space vehicle will be passivated on March 27, 2025, to avoid causing any damage or interference with other space vehicles ».
