Gaia Launch Sequence |
| Gaia will be launched on 19 December 2013 at 09:12:18 UTC from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana. Below the launch sequence: |
| Lift off (L) | 09:12:18 UTC (= 06:12:18 Kourou, 10:12:18 Paris) | |
| L + 2 min | 1st stage - 2nd stage separation |  |
| L + 3 min | Fairing separation |  |
| L + 5 min | 2nd stage - 3rd stage separartion | |
| L + 9 min | Nose module separation (nose module = spacecraft plus Fregat) | |
| L + 10 min | 1st Fregat burn | |
| L + 21 min | 2nd Fregat burn | |
| L + 43 min | - spacecraft separation - switch on transponder - switch on gyros - release the payload bipods (connection between the Payload Module and the Sevice Module) |  |
| L + 43 min | - Chemical Propulsion Sub-system priming (configure and pressurise the propulsion system) | |
| L + 1 h | - configure the thermal control - acquire the Sun and put the spacecraft in the right attitude | |
| L + 1 h 18 min | - start deployment of the sun shield |  |
| L + 1 h 28 min | - end deployment of the sun shield |  |
| L + 1 h 28 min | - start 2nd deployment sequence with redundant system | |
| L + 1 h 38 min | - end 2nd deployement sequence with redundant system | |