GAIA is ESA's Cornerstone 6, scheduled for launch in 2010-2011. It is a space astrometry mission, building on the success of Hipparcos The GAIA mission has been designed to solve one of the most difficult, yet deeply fundamental challenges in modern astronomy: to determine the composition, formation and evolution of our Galaxy, in the process creating an extraordinarily precise three-dimensional map of more than one billion stars throughout our Galaxy and beyond. The main goal of the GAIA mission is to clarify the origin and history of our Galaxy, by providing tests of the various formation theories, and of star formation and evolution. X. Luri's involvement on the GAIA mission: Member of the GAIA Science Advisory Group, in charge of: Definition of the mission scientific goals Coordination of the participating scientific teams Definition of the satellite characteristics and requirements Guidance and control of the industrial development. Desing and development of the GAIA mission simulator GAIA Data Acess and Analysis Study: design and development of the database for reduction and use of the GAIA results. On-board detection system Design of the GAIA photometric system

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