Gaia, artist’s impression by europeanspaceagency on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Gaia is a global space astrometry mission. Its goal is to make the largest, most precise three-dimensional map of our Galaxy by surveying an unprecedented number of stars - more than a thousand million.

Additional scientific benefits include the detection and characterisation of tens of thousands of extra-solar planetary systems, a comprehensive survey of objects ranging from huge numbers of minor bodies in our Solar System, through galaxies in the nearby Universe, to about 500 000 distant quasars. It will also provide stringent new tests of Albert Einstein’s general relativity theory.

For an overview of the Gaia mission, please click here.

Credits: ESA/Medialab