Gaia - Taking The Galactic Census

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Frequently asked questions about Gaia

What is the goal of Gaia?
Gaia will create a highly accurate map of the three-dimensional distribution of about one billion stars in our Galaxy, measuring how they are distributed and move through space, and their basic physical properties such as their mass, size, and chemical composition.

Why is this interesting?
From this information we hope to understand much more about the structure and contents of our Galaxy, how it came into being and why it is the way it is.

When will Gaia be launched?
Present plans are for a launch in mid-2010, and technical and scientific developments are on course for this. ESA's scientific missions are always very challenging and problems encountered later in this or other missions can affect the launch schedule.

How much will it cost?
Gaia will cost about 450 MEuro - that's just over 1 Euro per person in each of ESA's Member States.

Who pays for it?
ESA pays for (and develops) the satellite, its instrumentation, and its launch and operations. Scientific institutes in the ESA Member States pay for the scientific studies, development, and data analysis.

Is Gaia an acroynm?
No, it was originally considered as an acroynm, but it's now just a name, that of the Greek goddess of Earth.

How many people work on Gaia?
About 20 in ESA, about 200 scientists in Europe are involved (not all full-time), and about 50 engineers in European industrial firms. At its peak, around 2006-2007, some 2000 people will be involved in its construction and testing.

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