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Gaia Spacecraft Completes Historic 3 Trillion Observations

1/20/2025

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Summary

Story summary

The European Space Agency's Gaia spacecraft has achieved a monumental feat, completing its sky-scanning mission with over three trillion observations since its launch in December 2013. It meticulously mapped nearly two billion celestial objects, including 1.3 million quasars. While Gaia will be passivated on March 27, 2025, the journey of data processing will carry on, culminating in a final release in 2026.

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Story summary

The European Space Agency's Gaia spacecraft has achieved a monumental feat, completing its sky-scanning mission with over three trillion observations since its launch in December 2013. It meticulously mapped nearly two billion celestial objects, including 1.3 million quasars. While Gaia will be passivated on March 27, 2025, the journey of data processing will carry on, culminating in a final release in 2026.