Statement from Dr. Roosevelt Broyles, Chief Engineer, Coyote 7: ESA Gaia Mission Decommissioning

March 27, 2025

Today, March 27, 2025, marks the decommissioning of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Gaia mission, a pivotal chapter in space exploration that began with its launch on December 19, 2013. For over a decade, Gaia has transformed our understanding of the Milky Way by cataloging over one billion stars—roughly 1% of the galaxy’s total stellar population—with unmatched precision. Utilizing dual optical telescopes and a billion-pixel camera, Gaia has measured stellar positions, distances, and motions while collecting data on brightness, temperature, and composition. This astrometry mission, stationed at the L2 Lagrange point 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, has also identified exoplanets, asteroids, and quasars, delivering key insights into stellar evolution and galactic structure through data releases like Gaia DR3 in June 2022.

As of today, Gaia’s operational phase ends due to the near depletion of its cold gas propellant, essential for maintaining its precise scanning orbit. The ESA’s European Space Operations Centre team has powered down its systems and transitioned the spacecraft into a stable retirement orbit around the Sun, a process known as passivation to prevent future interference with other missions. While Gaia’s active data collection has concluded, its legacy endures with upcoming releases—Gaia Data Release 4 in 2026 and Data Release 5 by 2030—set to further unravel the Milky Way’s formation and dynamics. Learn more about the decommissioning process on ESA’s official Gaia farewell page.

To the ESA Gaia team: on behalf of Coyote 7, I extend our profound appreciation. Your exceptional work and invaluable contributions to space exploration have redefined astrometry and provided a foundation for future discoveries. Gaia’s precise 3D map of the galaxy, detailed in resources like ESA’s Gaia overview, has not only charted the stars but also guided the trajectory of astronomical research. Thank you for your remarkable efforts and enduring impact.

Roosevelt Broyles