The DESTINY+ Dust Analyzer (DDA)
The DESTINY+ Dust Analyzer (DDA)
The DESTINY+ Dust Analyzer (DDA) is scheduled to launch in 2028 as part of the DESTINY+ mission of the Japanese space agency JAXA and will study cosmic dust. The analysis will provide valuable information about the formation of the Solar System and other planetary systems. The DDA was developed by the Institute of Space Systems (IRS) at the University of Stuttgart. Dust particles enter the instrument through the inlet grids – not visible here – beneath the upper cover. Within the grids, the dust particles are sorted and their direction determined. Below this is an ion detector for measuring the mass of the particles. On the left, in the shape of a snail shell, is a two-axis mechanism for orienting the instrument.
Credit:
Institute of Space Systems (IRS), University of Stuttgart