Rosetta mission. Mission plan generator for the scientific use of the sampler, drill and distribution subsystem

This work focuses on two main activities both concerning the Sampler, Drill, and Distribution (SD2) subsystem, currently flying onboard the Rosetta mission. The first activity concerns the development of a software tool to combine different telecommands into mission plans. The tool is a support for engineers to operate the drill in a more simple way and to monitor its energy consumption. The second activity, on the other hand, is the design and execution of an experimental campaign that involves the use of SD2 to characterize the compressive behavior of a selection of sample materials. The results are than integrated with those of a new set of tests carried out in the laboratory of the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology of Politecnico di Milano, using both an exact copy of SD2 drill bit provided by SelexEs and a penetration testing tool designed and manufactured at the Politecnico di Milano. The final goal is to confirm that SD2 can be actually used as a scientific tool to measure the mechanical properties of the materials on the comet's surface.