  GAIA (originally the acronym for Global Astrometric Interferometer for
Astrophysics) is a mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) which will make
the largest, most precise three dimensional map of our Galaxy by an
unparalleled survey of one per cent of the galaxy's population of 100 billion
stars to the precision of micro arcseconds. This article will briefly review
Gaia, the data releases and the possible implications of this mission. The
reader will be introduced to the DR1 and DR2 data releases and the scientific
outcomes of DR1 as a forerunner to the much awaited DR2 of this one-of-a-kind
mission.
