Ground Control

The Near Space Network and the equatorial lines of communication

The populating satellite networks and their ever- expanding capacity to monitor and measure the Earth bring about a Copernican question on Earth’s position: while satellites orbit along a trajectory tethered by the Earth’s gravity, space experiments like GRACE also challenge the position of Earth as the sole reference point. Since gravity is not absolutely constant, the systems of control require further references.

Satellites form networks and constantly track their relative positions between one another as a way to calibrate, reposition, and altogether stabilize the network. Ground stations constitute a segment of this network and function as communication terminals on the ground, tethering the space elements to Earth. As the satellites monitor the Earth, they are also being monitored by ground stations.

[GROUND STATIONS]

[TRACKING AND DATA RELAY SATELLITE]