| A | B |
|---|---|
| Artist’s impression of the Gaia spacecraft | … |
| Mission type | Astrometric observatory |
| Operator | ESA |
| COSPAR ID | 2013-074A |
| SATCAT no. | 39479 |
| Website | www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Gaia |
| Mission duration | 11 years, 3 months and 8 days |
| Spacecraft properties | … |
| Manufacturer | • EADS Astrium • e2v Technologies |
| Launch mass | 2,029 kg (4,473 lb)1 |
| Dry mass | 1,392 kg (3,069 lb) |
| Payload mass | 710 kg (1,570 lb)2 |
| Dimensions | 4.6 m × 2.3 m (15.1 ft × 7.5 ft) |
| Power | 1,910 watts |
| Start of mission | … |
| Launch date | 19 December 2013, 09:12:14 UTC3 |
| Rocket | Soyuz ST-B/Fregat-MT |
| Launch site | Kourou ELS |
| Contractor | Arianespace |
| End of mission | … |
| Deactivated | 27 March 2025 |
| Last contact | 27 March 2025 |
| Orbital parameters | … |
| Reference system | Sun–Earth L |
| Regime | Lissajous orbit |
| Periapsis altitude | 263,000 km (163,000 mi)4 |
| Apoapsis altitude | 707,000 km (439,000 mi)4 |
| Period | 180 days |
| Epoch | 2014 |
| Main telescope | … |
| Type | Three-mirror anastigmat1 |
| Diameter | 1.45 m × 0.5 m (4 ft 9 in × 1 ft 8 in) |
| Collecting area | 0.7 m |
| Transponders | … |
| Band | • S band (TT&C support) • X band (data acquisition) |
| Bandwidth | • a few kbit/s down & up (S band) • 3–8 Mbit/s download (X band) |
| Instruments | … |
| • ASTRO : Astrometric instrument • BP/RP : Photometric instrument • RVS : Radial velocity spectrometer | … |
Contemporary ESA insignia (2010s) Horizon 2000 Plus (Science Programme) | … |
Gaia
(echo:: @ ᯤ)