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December 19, 2013

Europe launches billion-dollar Milky Way telescope
Paris (AFP) Dec 19, 2013
The European Space Agency (ESA) on Thursday launched an advanced telescope designed to detect a billion stars and provide the most detailed map yet of the Milky Way. The Gaia telescope was successfully hoisted by a Soyuz-STB-Fregat rocket from ESA's space base in Kourou, French Guiana, the agency reported in a webcast. "All is fonctioning normally," an ESA commentator said. The satellite was to be deployed 42 minutes after launch. The 740-million-euro ($1.02-billion) device, the most sop ... read more

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