Mapping a billion stars: The ambitious journey of ESA's Gaia space observatory
In short: Launched in 2013, the Gaia mission aims to construct an unprecedentedly precise map of the Milky Way. This video captures the critical moments of its departure from Earth, documenting the rocket's ascent and the spacecraft's successful transition into its initial flight path.
The Gaia mission began on 19 December 2013, departing from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana aboard a Soyuz rocket. Managed by Arianespace, the launch occurred at 09:12 GMT. Following the release of the initial three rocket stages, the Fregat upper stage successfully placed the observatory into a preliminary holding orbit at an altitude of 175 kilometers.
Gaia is currently traveling toward a stable gravitational location known as L2, situated 1.5 million kilometers away from Earth. By tracking the movement and location of approximately one billion stars—representing roughly 1% of the Milky Way's total stellar population—the mission seeks to uncover fundamental insights regarding the history and development of our galaxy.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Gaia launch replay highlights
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