Gaia: Ten Years of Surveying the Milky Way and Beyond (2503.01533v1)

Abstract: On January 15 2025, the Gaia mission completed the collection of the astrometric, photometric, and spectroscopic data for about 2.5 billion celestial sources, from the solar system to the Milky Way to the distant universe. Work is ongoing to produce Gaia DR4 based on the first 5.5 years of data, with the release expected in 2026. The full 10.5 year survey will be turned into Giaa DR5 which will open up scientific possibilities beyond Gaia DR4}. In this contribution I give a brief overview of the Gaia mission, summarize results from the GaiaUnlimited project, provide a glimpse of what is to come in Gaia DR4, and summarize the new science opportunities that Gaia DR5 will bring. I close with a look ahead at the successor to Gaia, the GaiaNIR mission, which will survey the Milky Way in the infrared, thus probing the Galactic ecosystem in the regions hidden to the Gaia mission.