ESA Science & Technology - GAIA and Virtual Observatories

Publication date: 19 June 2000

Authors: O'Mullane, W. & Luri, C.

Year: 2000

GAIA is proposed for ESA's fifth cornerstone mission which has a prospective launch date of 2009. The objectives of GAIA are many-fold, but the core objective is the discovery of the origin and formation of the Galaxy. To do this GAIA will combine information from astrometry, photometry, and radial velocity instruments using the proven principles of the Hipparcos mission.