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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 November 2011
The Gaia astrometric mission holds the promise for crucial contributions to almost every subject of astrophysics and astronomy, including planetary systems astrophysics. We focus on the potential of the Gaia mission as perfect tool for a complete screening of nearby stars in search for exoplanets. We build our dissertation on the most recent results of the satellites astrometric payload performances and data reduction capabilities. We put the identified capabilities in context by illustrating the outstanding contribution to planetary sciences, in combination with nowadays and next decade exoplanets search programs, as a complement to other indirect and direct methods for the detection and characterization of planetary systems. We conclude by highlighting the crucial improvements in the optimization of the target lists of future dedicated observatory projects.