The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
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Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Launched in December 2013, the Gaia mission is revolutionising our understanding of the Milky Way. The space telescope is mapping our galaxy in unprecedented detail – measuring the position, movement and distance of stars.
At a meeting in Groningen in the Netherlands, scientists have been discussing the challenge of processing and visualising Gaia data.
Latest science results from the mission, also discussed in this A and B-roll, include a new understanding of how stars cluster together and the fact that today’s Milky Way was formed from a merger of galaxies.
More details on these science results:
Gaia untangles the starry strings of the Milky Way
Gaia uncovers major event in the formation of the Milky Way