Space Career Academy · Glossary

Glossary

Plain definitions of the terms behind space careers and space cybersecurity, operations and resilience.

01Terms

  • Space segment: The space segment is the part of a space system that is in orbit: the satellites and spacecraft themselves.
  • Ground segment: The ground segment is the part of a space system on Earth: the ground stations, networks, and control systems that command satellites and receive their data.
  • Link segment: The link segment is the set of communication links that connect the ground and the space segments of a space system.
  • User segment: The user segment is the set of devices and users that consume the service a space system provides, such as receivers and terminals.
  • Space cybersecurity: Space cybersecurity is the practice of protecting space systems, across the space, ground, link, and user segments, from cyber threats.
  • Resilience engineering: Resilience engineering, in the space context, is the practice of designing space systems so they keep operating through failure, interference, and attack.
  • Telemetry, tracking, and command: Telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) is the system that monitors a spacecraft, tracks its position, and sends it commands.
  • Mission assurance: Mission assurance is the discipline of making sure a space mission will perform as intended, securely and reliably, across its lifecycle.