Gaia Satellite Retires After a Decade of Mapping the Milky Way
After more than a decade of service, the European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite is being retired. The spacecraft is running low on the cold nitrogen gas it needs to stay on target. Soon, it will be moved to a graveyard orbit, marking the end of its mission.
Launched on December 19, 2013, Gaia has spent the last 11 years tracking over two billion stars—measuring their positions, motions, brightness, and more. It has collected an incredible 142 terabytes of data, helping scientists build the most detailed 3D map of our Milky Way.
“Gaia has changed how we see our Galaxy,” says Stefan Payne-Wardenaar, a scientific visualizer in Germany. “It has helped revise even basic ideas, like how the Milky Way’s central bar rotates, how its disc is warped, and the structure of its spiral arms.”
Even though Gaia is shutting down, its data will continue to shape our understanding of the universe. In 2026, ESA will release a dataset covering the mission’s first 5.5 years. By 2030, the full 11 years of data will be available, promising even more discoveries.
Before shutting down on March 27, 2025, Gaia will go through a final round of technology tests. Scientists will analyze how its instruments have held up over the years, improving the accuracy of past measurements. During this phase, Gaia’s brightness will temporarily increase, making it visible through small telescopes.
Currently positioned at Lagrange Point 2, a stable spot in space 1.5 million km (900,000 miles) from the Sun, Gaia will soon be moved to prevent cluttering this valuable orbit.
Though the spacecraft will no longer operate, its legacy lives on. Scientists believe the final data release will blow our minds, offering the most detailed cosmic map we’ve ever seen.
Stay tuned—Gaia’s impact on astronomy is far from over!
Picture Credit: European Space Agency
