Gaia

ESA2013–2025Completed

telescopeSun–Earth L2Gaia

Completed

11.3

years total

About this mission

ESA's astrometric space observatory. Created the most precise 3D map of the Milky Way ever — measuring positions, motions, and properties of over 1.8 billion stars. Decommissioned March 2025 after exceeding its operational lifespan by 5 years.

The mission lasted 11.3 years — 4,116 days from launch to end of operations.

Space telescopes observe from above the atmosphere — giving us the sharpest views of the cosmos.

Timeline

19 Dec 201327 Mar 2025

4,116 days total

Gaia — 3D Model

telescope classDrag to rotate · scroll to zoom

Procedural representation based on spacecraft class. Not to scale.

Other missions to Sun–Earth L2

Euclid

ESA's dark-universe telescope. Will map the shapes, positions, and redshifts of billions of galaxies across a third of the sky, creating the most detailed 3D map of the universe ever made to probe dark matter and dark energy.

ESA · 2023

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