The European Space Agency (ESA) has powered down its Gaia spacecraft after more than a decade collecting data on the Milky Way galaxy. Launched in 2013, Gaia transformed our understanding of the cosmos by precisely mapping nearly two billion stars and celestial objects.
Gaia’s stellar contributions included mapping millions of quasars and galaxies, tracking hundreds of thousands of asteroids and comets, and identifying new star clusters. The mission also enabled the creation of the best visualization of how our galaxy might look to an outside observer.
The spacecraft’s fuel reserves are dwindling, and it has far exceeded its planned lifetime of five years. To dispose of the spacecraft responsibly, the team switched off its systems and sent it into a retirement orbit around the Sun.
Gaia’s final transmission marked the conclusion of an intentional farewell to the spacecraft, which will continue to shape research for decades. Its vast data archive remains a treasure trove for scientists, refining knowledge of galactic archaeology, stellar evolution, exoplanets, and more.
The Gaia team used the spacecraft’s final weeks to run technology tests on its micro propulsion system, which may benefit future ESA missions. Personal farewell messages were also written into the spacecraft’s memory, ensuring that Gaia will forever carry a piece of its team with it as it drifts through space.
Source: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Operations/Farewell_Gaia!_Spacecraft_operations_come_to_an_end