Gaia is a European Space Agency mission that is creating the most precise three-dimensional map of the Milky Way ever produced. By measuring the positions, motions and characteristics of more than a billion stars, Gaia is transforming our understanding of the structure, formation and evolution of our Galaxy. The mission generates vast volumes of astronomical data that must be processed, curated and analysed using advanced computing and data-management infrastructure. Through IRIS, the UK Gaia community benefits from access to the computing, storage and expertise needed to support large-scale data processing and scientific analysis. The resulting datasets are used by researchers worldwide to investigate topics ranging from stellar evolution and Galactic dynamics to the distribution of dark matter and the history of the Milky Way.
