NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

Gaia

Launch Time
Thu Dec 19, 2013 09:12 UTC

Flight VS06.

Rocket

Soyuz ST-B/Fregat-MT
Image Credit: ESA
Arianespace
Status: Active
Price: $30.0 million
Liftoff Thrust: 4,317 kN
Payload to LEO: 9,000 kg
Payload to GTO: 3,250 kg
Stages: 4
Strap-ons: 4
Rocket Height: 46.94 m
Fairing Diameter: 4.11 m
Fairing Height: 11.43 m

Mission Details

Gaia

Gaia is a space observatory of the European Space Agency (ESA), launched in 2013 and expected to operate until 2022. The spacecraft is designed for astrometry: measuring the positions, distances, and motions of stars with unprecedented precision. The mission aims to construct by far the largest and most precise 3D space catalog ever made, totalling approximately 1 billion astronomical objects, mainly stars, but also planets, comets, asteroids, and quasars among others.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 2,029.0 kg
Sun–Earth L2

Location

ELS, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana, France

Stats

2013

77th orbital launch attempt

Arianespace

210th mission
7th mission of 2013
203rd successful mission
66th consecutive successful mission

Soyuz 2.1b

14th mission
5th mission of 2013
13th successful mission
6th consecutive successful mission