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Relevance of the Mission Control Center to KidSat. The Mission Control Center is both a link in the KidSat chain (all commands to the shuttle, including KidSat commands, go through Mission Control), and a model for other KidSat operations.

[[Diagram of the chain of communication]]
[[2 images]] 
[[Image of JPL Datasystems not in chain of communication: SMOC Schools --> MCG (UCSD) --> Mission Control Center (JSC) --> Camera (on Shuttle)]] 
[[Image of MCG (UCSD) not in chain of communication: Camera (on Shuttle) --> Mission Control Center (JSC) --> JPL Datasystems --> SMOC Schools]] 

The Mission Control Gateway (MCG) at UCSD is modelled [[modeled]] after NASA's Mission Control Center. It is staffed by a team of college and high school students, led by the Gateway Director; each is responsible for following or planning a particular aspect of the KidSat mission.

The SMOC at your school should also be based loosely on the concept of a Mission Control Center. There should be one student who is the "Director", and the students should be working in small teams, each with a particular responsibility; each team's efforts are an important piece of the work done by the SMOC as it produces and sends to the MCG a list of photo selections.

The Mission Control Center in Houston stresses the importance of discipline, individual responsibility, and teamwork; those are its important lessons for the college and high school students of the KidSat MCG and the middle school students of the KidSat SMOCs.

07/10/96                                Page 3.12