Gaia takes off successfully towards the Milky Way

2013-12-20 00:00:00

Today at 10:12:19 (GMT) the satellite Gaia has been successfully launched. After overcoming the first stages of the launch -separation of driving rockets, separation of second and third stages, liting of Fregat and Gaia separation-, Gaia has also passed the most critical stage, the unfurling of the parasol. Gaia is now outside the orbit of the Earth and heads to its point of observation, L2, 1.5 million kilometers away, where it will arrive within a month.

The launch, which was carried out from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, was broadcast live from the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Barcelona. The room exceeded its maximum capacity with an expectant and excited audience. At the time of launch people were happily screaming, and finally they celebrated the mission after the unfurling of the parasol, the critical stage.