Communication and Infrastructure

Kurzfassung

This chapter describes the design aspects of a typical Mission Control Center (MCC). The German Space Operations Center (GSOC) is taken as an example. The Mission Control Center – as the name implies – is the central ground facility of a space mission. It is the central point where all data and management information concerning the spacecraft are consolidated. These data are received, checked and processed, decisions are made and – in case of an emergency – the respective procedures are performed in order to restore the nominal conditions of the mission. The way how the MCC operates is defined by its design which specifies its capabilities, flexibility and robustness. MCC operations are also defined by the people working within, primarily of course by the Flight Operations Team, but also by all personnel responsible for interfaces and infrastructure. Their work in the background is equally important. Finally, the design of the MCC needs to conform to the customer requirements and provide a safe and secure environment for spacecraft operations. This includes not only purely technical solutions, but also the respective environment for the people working there. Within this chapter we focus on several aspects of the design of a control center. At first the necessary infrastructure is analyzed. Then the design of the local control center network is examined followed by the software needed.