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Massimo Vetrisno is an Experienced Researcher within the Stardust ITN at Deimos Space S.L.U., in Madrid, Spain. 

Massimo earned his BSc and MSc in Aerospace Engineering at Politecnico di Milano, Milan. He is finalizing his PhD under the guidance of M. Vasile from the University of Strathclyde, Gslasgow, where Massimo carried out his doctorate His research was centred on autonomous guidance, navigation and control systems for missions to minor celestial bodies. In particular, he focussed on strategies and algorithms to increase reliability and minimise the impact of failure. 

Massimo took part to European Student Moon Orbiter (ESMO) as flight dynamics specialist. He was also been involved as researcher in studies for end-of-life and disposal concepts  and asteroid deflection missions.  Thanks to the latter work,in 2013 he won the Space Generation OHB Move an Asteroid Competition in Beijing. Finally Massimo worked at Compagnia Generale per lo Spazio S.p.a., an OHB company, for about 1 year before starting hi PhD. His research interests include: Optimal estimation and control, uncertainty quantification, space robotics and autonomous navigation.  

Away from research, he enjoys traveling, running, playing football, spending time with friends and family and good food

Project description:

The navigation in close proximity of asteroids can be complicated due to the fact that the environment is uncertain especially if the asteroid presents irregular shape and is rotating. The motion of the spacecraft close to the asteroid is unstable and the perturbations acting on it are sufficient to strip a spacecraft out of orbit. The dynamics is even more complicated when the spacecraft has to perform long period operations about the asteroid for deflection purposes. It is paramount that increasing the understanding of the dynamics and improving our tools to evaluate the interaction between the spacecraft and the asteroid will improve the design of scientifical and deflecting missions. The main goals of the current project are:

  • ·         To develop high-fidelity propagation of spacecraft trajectories about irregular asteroids
  • ·         To identify stable orbits about asteroid and control requirements for specific operational orbits
  • ·         To fully characterise mitigation strategies based on the use of linear momentum


Massimo's Work

 
 
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