ground control
Spacecraft command center
Ground control is the personnel and equipment on the earth's surface that monitor and direct aircraft or spacecraft in flight.
The term covers both the facility and the people who work there: Ground control cleared the pilot for landing.
In space missions, ground control communicates with astronauts and manages mission operations from earth.
David Bowie's "Space Oddity" made Ground Control to Major Tom a cultural touchstone for the relationship between earthbound handlers and those they guide through the sky.
- taxiwayAircraft ground route
- HoustonTexas's largest city
- Major TomFictional stranded spaceman
- taxiingSlow aircraft ground travel
- holding patternCircular flight awaiting clearance
clearance · landing · deep space network · runway · tower · airborne · mission commander · beacon · launch pad · takeoff · flight mode · David Bowie · space race · radio silence · roger that · come in · downlink · uplink
- controlcommand, management, supervision, guidance, steering
- airportsairports, airport, terminals, terminal building, runway
- space termsmoon, star, planet, rocket, satellite
- grapplingsubmission hold, chokehold, wrestling match, arm bar, freestyle wrestling
- Command Centerscommand center, operations center, command post, central command, war room
- mine safetymine safety, hard hat, hard hats, gas detectors, coal dust
ground controlcockpit
Pilot's control compartment
flight deck · flight crew · pilot · astronaut · captain
ground controlautopilot
Automated vehicle guidance system
autonomous flight · self-guided · manual control · fly-by-wire
control, ground, background, underground, grounds, playground, controller, controlled, controlling