page_title: Ground segment
section_title: Mission control centers
hierarchical_section_title: Ground segment / Elements / Mission control centers
caption_attribution_description: This is a photograph of the control room in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, USA.
context_page_description: A ground segment consists of all the ground-based elements of a spacecraft system used by operators and support personnel, as opposed to the space segment and user segment. The ground segment enables management of a spacecraft, and distribution of payload data and telemetry among interested parties on the ground. The primary elements of a ground segment are:
  Ground stations, which provide radio interfaces with spacecraft
  Mission control centers, from which spacecraft are managed
  Ground networks, which connect the other ground elements to one another
  Remote terminals, used by support personnel
  Spacecraft integration and test facilities
  Launch facilities
  These elements are present in nearly all space missions, whether commercial, military, or scientific. They may be located together or separated geographically, and they may be operated by different parties. Some elements may support multiple spacecraft simultaneously.
context_section_description: Mission control centers process, analyze, and distribute spacecraft telemetry, and issue commands, data uploads, and software updates to spacecraft. For crewed spacecraft, mission control manages voice and video communications with the crew. Control centers may also be responsible for configuration management and data archival. As with ground stations, there are typically backup control facilities available to support continuity of operations.
caption: Control center at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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