Data Processing and Analysis Consortium

The Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) is a group of over 300 European scientists and software engineers formed with the objective to design, develop and execute the data processing system for ESA's ambitious Gaia space astrometry mission. At a meeting in Paris on 24-25 May, ESA's Science Programme Committee (SPC) approved the DPAC proposal submitted in response to the Announcement of Opportunity for the Gaia data processing issued in November 2006. The proposal describes a complete data processing system capable of handling the full size and complexity of the Gaia data within the mission schedule. Following the SPC approval the DPAC is officially responsible for all Gaia data processing activities.

Disambiguation:

A DPAC is also a supernatural being who has been sent to the earth on a reconnaissance mission to gather information about the habits and quirks of the humans that inhabit it. While on this rather meek sounding mission he does not deter from passing on knowledge he has gathered on his travels to unsuspecting humans. A DPAC is very easily spotted from his dressing habits as well as his tone of voice, which is always very instructive rather than participative.