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This is the sensor system from the DUCMA (Dust Counter and Mass Analyzer) instrument. The DUCMA was designed to measure the masses and fluxes of impacting dust particles. The instrument flew onboard the Vega spacecraft that flew by the comet Halley in March 1986. The DUCMA used a polarized polymer film to detect particle impacts and measure the particle’s mass and velocity. A second detector collected acoustic information from the impacts. The Vega encounters with comet Halley allowed the first direct measurements of the dust particles originating from the nucleus of a comet.

NASA transferred this sytem to the Museum in 1992.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin United States of America Type INSTRUMENTS-Scientific Manufacturer University of Chicago, Enrico Fermi Institute, Laboratory for Astrophysics and Space Research
 Dimensions 3-D (Excluding Cord): 21.6 x 17.1 x 21cm (8 1/2 x 6 3/4 x 8 1/4 in.)
Other (Cord): 198.1cm (78 in.)
 Materials Steel, Aluminum, Teflon, Kapton (Polymide), Rubber (silicone), Plastic, Copper, Paint
 Inventory Number A19920067000 Credit Line Transferred from NASA Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.