TARIS , François

Gaia's unprecedented ambitions regarding astrometric accuracy and precision require a level of knowledge of the position and velocity vector of the satellite itself not required in other satellite mission. Thus the usual methods of determining these quantities do not suffice and new approaches must be invoked. One of these is the Ground Based...

Gaia's unprecedented ambitions regarding astrometric accuracy and precision require a level of knowledge of the position and velocity vector of the satellite itself not required in other satellite mission. Thus the usual methods of determining these quantities do not suffice and new approaches must be invoked. One of these is the Ground Based...

The Ground Based Optical Tracking group (GBOT) consists of about ten scientists involved in the Gaia mission by ESA. Its main task is the optical tracking of the Gaia satellite itself [1]. This novel tracking method in addition to radiometric standard ones is necessary to ensure that the Gaia mission goal in terms of astrometric precision level...