Micro-Imaging Dust Analysis System

The Micro-Imaging Dust Analysis System (MIDAS) is one of several instruments on the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission which studied in-situ the environment around the active comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko as it flew into the inner Solar System. MIDAS is an atomic force microscope (AFM) designed to collect dust particles emitted from the comet, and then scan them with a very sharp needle-like tip to determine their 3D structure, size and texture with very high resolution (4 nanometers).

MIDAS
OperatorESA
ManufacturerAustria, the Netherlands and Germany
Instrument typeAtomic force microscope
FunctionElemental analiser
Mission duration12 years, 6 months, 28 days
Began operations6 August 2014
Ceased operations30 September 2016
Properties
Mass8.0 kg
Power consumption7.4 W
Host spacecraft
SpacecraftRosetta spacecraft
OperatorEuropean Space Agency
Launch date2 March 2004 (2004-03-02)
RocketAriane 5G+ V-158
Launch siteKourou ELA-3
COSPAR ID2004-006A
OrbitComet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko
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