Gaia, cornerstone mission of ESA, will survey all-sky, photometric and spectroscopic astrometrica up to magnitude V = 20, observing a billion sources, on a five-year expected storm. The launch took place at the end of 2013. The mission is funded by ESA, except for the data processing of which shall bear the European astronomical community through Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC). The Italy (ASI + INAF) join the DPAC for one very important fraction, with contributions from observers INAF Bologna, Catania, Naples, Padua, Rome, Teramo, Turin (home of PI-ship Italian) and Trieste.

INAF say “with Gaia, the mother of all maps of the sky. The first catalogue, with over a billion stars, collected in one year from ESA’s Gaia satellite, was made public! “

In 3 years of launch into space, here’s the first result of the mapping, despite many problems in these 3 years

The article on the site INAF dedicated to GAIA:

http://www.media.inaf.it/2016/09/14/gaia-dr1/

The article on the ESA website:

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Gaia/Gaia_s_billion-Sam map_hints_at_treasures_to_come

While the latest news dated 22 September 2016 about Microlensing phenomena that are in the crosshairs of GAIA:

http://www.media.inaf.it/2016/09/22/microlensing-in-viewfinder-of-gaia/