Gaia Interim Impact Evaluation
Launched in 2013 and expected to operate until 2025, the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission is aiming to construct the largest and most precise 3D space catalogue ever made.
A report for the UK Space Agency.
Image of Gaia, courtesy of the European Space Agency
This evaluation focused on the impact of the UK’s national funding for processing and analysing data from the Gaia mission, considering scientific impact as well as impacts on UK competitiveness and reputation, skills and inspiration, and innovation.
UKSA has so far committed more than £23m for processing and analysing data from the mission. The UK’s national investments have enabled the UK space science research community to play a central role in the ongoing data processing and scientific discovery, which are significant tasks, given the considerable amount of data sent from Gaia to Earth.
