NASA Logo, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center

Astrophysics Science Division | Sciences and Exploration

This website is kept for archival purposes only and is no longer updated.

skip navigation
SM3A Home SM3A Mission Overview Additional Information and Timeline Daily Mission Updates Space Telescope Operations Control Center Image Gallery Cool Links
SM3A Home
Mission Chronicles
CosmicKids
Shuttle Crew Information

Media Information

Glossary

 

Space Telescope Operations Control Center (STOCC) at GSFC

STOCC Team Images
The Team Behind the Telescope
STOCC Overview
STOCC Position Descriptions

Inside the Hubble Command Center

STOCC

The Space Telescope Operations Control Center, or STOCC, is where controllers direct Hubble's exploration of the Universe. The focal point of all Hubble Space Telescope operations, the STOCC is located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Here Hubble's controllers monitor the telescope's health while they direct its movements and science activities. Throughout Hubble's 20-year mission, the STOCC operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

During a servicing mission, the STOCC becomes even busier than usual. The ground control team trains long, hard hours to prepare for their important servicing role. Shortly after launch, they will instruct Hubble to stop normal science operations. To prepare it for rendezvous and capture, the team will command Hubble's aperture door to close and its high gain antennas to be stowed. After capture, as the astronauts install new equipment on Hubble, the STOCC team will immediately test it. Later, while the crew sleeps, ground controllers will perform more detailed checkouts.

At the end of the mission, the STOCC team will deploy Hubble's high gain antennas and open its aperture door. They will reactivate and check out all Hubble equipment powered off during the servicing call. Then, Discovery's robot arm will release Hubble and normal science operations will resume.


Space Telescope Operations Control Center (STOCC) Overview

Servicing Mission Operations Room (SMOR)
Mission Operations Manager (MOM)
HST Systems
HST Systems Engineering Specialists

Mission Operations Room (MOR)
STOCC Operations
STOCC Control
The STOCC Operations Support Team
Ground System Manager

System Engineering and Evaluation Room (SEER)

Mission Support Room (MSR)

MET Clock

STOCC "Back Room" positions