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      French Guiana: ESA's Gaia space observatory ready for launch01:00

      French Guiana: ESA's Gaia space observatory ready for launch

      French Guiana, Kourou
      October 16, 2013 at 06:12 GMT +00:00 · Published

      French Guiana: ESA's Gaia space observatory ready for launch

      Technicians at the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana have completed the final preparations for the Gaia space observatory telescope, set to be launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) on November 20.

      After launch from the French territory, Gaia will orbit Earth on a five-year mission, aiming to 3D map more than a billion stars in the Milky Way.

      Testing at the spaceport has effectively shown that Gaia's 10-metre (34-ft) diameter sunshield can fold up like an umbrella for launch. In orbit, Gaia's shield will always face the sun, cooling the telescope and powering it using solar panels fixed to the shield.

      French Guiana: ESA's Gaia space observatory ready for launch01:00
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      French Guiana: ESA's Gaia space observatory ready for launch

      Technicians at the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana have completed the final preparations for the Gaia space observatory telescope, set to be launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) on November 20.

      After launch from the French territory, Gaia will orbit Earth on a five-year mission, aiming to 3D map more than a billion stars in the Milky Way.

      Testing at the spaceport has effectively shown that Gaia's 10-metre (34-ft) diameter sunshield can fold up like an umbrella for launch. In orbit, Gaia's shield will always face the sun, cooling the telescope and powering it using solar panels fixed to the shield.

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