The European Space Agency (ESA) has officially ended communication with its 11-year-old galaxy mapping spacecraft, Gaia. The decision was made due to the depletion of cold gas propellant needed for continuous scanning of the sky.
Gaia’s primary mission was to create a three-dimensional map of the Milky Way galaxy by measuring the positions and motions of over 1.46 billion objects in space. Its data provided crucial information on star distances, brightnesses, and variability, significantly advancing our understanding of the cosmos.
The ESA team performed testing for several weeks before informing Gaia to leave its orbit at Lagrange point L2 and embark on a new orbit around the Sun. This stable location, 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, offered a suitable spot for communication and solar power, but presented challenges for repair missions.
Gaia’s retirement leaves behind a rich legacy of scientific contributions, with thousands of articles published in astronomy journals. The data release process will continue with two more significant releases planned by 2026 and the final data release expected in the 2030s.
The Gaia mission has been hailed as a revolutionary success for astronomy, with its impact still felt today. As radio astronomer [Author’s Name] reflects on their work, they emphasize the importance of this telescope in advancing our understanding of the universe.
Source: https://theconversation.com/the-best-space-telescope-you-never-heard-of-just-shut-down-253343