### Launch of Gaia Spacecraft **Date**: December 19, 2013 • **Location**: Vanves, France The European Space Agency's spacecraft Gaia was launched with the goal of constructing the largest and most precise star catalogue ever made. The European Space Agency is a 23-member international organisation devoted to space exploration. It has its headquarters in Paris and a staff of around 3,000 people globally as of 2025. ESA was founded in 1975 in the context of European integration. Its 2026 annual budget was around €8.3 billion.

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