# Gaia: from proposal to GDR1

## TL;DR

The Gaia mission, from its initial proposal to the release of GDR1, has successfully delivered a high-quality, comprehensive dataset that supports diverse astrophysical research, fulfilling its original scientific goals.

## Contribution

This paper documents the history and achievements of the Gaia mission, highlighting its successful development and data release after 25 years of collaborative effort.

## Key findings

- Gaia has met its original science objectives.
- The mission involved about 1,000 scientists and engineers.
- GDR1 provides a unique, high-quality dataset for astrophysics.

## Abstract

In this concluding article I recall the early history of the Gaia mission, showing that the original science case and expectations of wide community interest in Gaia data have been met. The quarter-century long partnership involving some 1,000 scientists, engineers and managers in industry and academia is delivering a large, high-quality and unique data set which will underpin astrophysics across many sub-fields for years to come.