Gaia, next ESA's astrometry mission, is equipped with a latest-generation scientific payload. It will also be equipped with two key spacecraft components. The first one is a deployable sun-shield, covering an area of one hundred square metres, to minimise the temperature fluctuations on the highly sensitive optics. The second is a new micro-propulsion system, to be used to smoothly control the spacecraft in order not to disturb the optics during the sky scanning.