European Space Agency

It is difficult to see Airbus and some of the other large, institutional space companies in Europe banding together and becoming nimble and more efficient operators in spaceflight. That would require enormous changes in companies that have decades of ossified culture, with layers of management that are difficult to cut through.

Last night a crucial step in the European Space Agency’s eclipse-making Proba-3 mission was completed: the two spacecraft, flying jointly since launch, have successfully separated.

Launched on 19 December 2013, Gaia’s fuel tank is now approaching empty – it uses about a dozen grams of cold gas per day to keep it spinning with pinpoint precision. But this is far from the end of the mission.

The journey of #Gaia from @esa has not only changed our understanding of the Milky Way, but also transformed those of us who worked on this extraordinary mission. It’s been an adventure that made us question who we are and what we can achieve together. 🌌✨ #GaiaMission #SpaceExploration
@esascience

A post for my @Vivaldi blog

https://mcastel.vivaldi.net/2025/01/eleven-years-in-space/