Ground Systems

All aspects of ground system development — from systems engineering to deployment and maintenance — for NASA mission operation centers.

Mission Operation Centers & Enterprise Ground Systems

EFSI provides all aspects of ground system development, from systems engineering to deployment and maintenance. We specialize in enterprise ground systems, providing comprehensive infrastructure for ESMO (Earth Science Mission Operations) and SSMO (Space Science Mission Operations) — large-scale enterprise systems each containing many missions under a single operational umbrella.

Our team delivers a full-spectrum lifecycle approach to ground segment architecture, including antenna support and higher-level support for Communications Support Officers (CSOs). We are also actively shaping the future of ground operations through Agentic AI and autonomous command — see details below.

NASA GSFC
Systems Engineering & Deployment

Designing and launching robust network enterprise management (EM) and infrastructure systems (IS) for mission operations.

Network & Security Operations

Expert network engineering, rigorous IT security hardening, and proactive system administration.

Mission Sustenance

Long-term maintenance and evolution of ground elements for premier observatories, including JWST, JPSS, and GOES-R.

The Future of Ground Ops: Agentic AI & Autonomous Command

EFSI is integrating Agentic AI and LLM architectures to reimagine the "Faster, Better, Cheaper" philosophy for ground operations. By moving beyond rigid manual sequencing, we are introducing intelligent automation that maximizes science return while reducing operational overhead.

Natural Language Commanding

A paradigm shift from complex scripting to defining scientific intent in plain language. Operators can issue high-level goals — such as "Prioritize water vapor detection if light conditions permit" — which the AI translates into executable, flight-ready tasks.

Autonomous Task Translation

AI agents automatically convert natural language directives into hex-encoded CCSDS packets, ensuring 100% compatibility with real-world flight software stacks.

Onboard Adaptive Sequencing

Using agentic coordination, instruments can autonomously modify plans in real-time based on live data — shifting targets or prioritizing high-value atmospheric features without waiting for ground intervention.

Automated Verification & Traceability

Our AI systems log full reasoning chains and decision-making logic, providing explainable AI that supports mission assurance and safety.

Intelligent Resource Management

Agents detect and resolve resource conflicts onboard (such as power or bandwidth), drastically reducing the volume of command uplinks and the dependency on large ground-based mission ops teams.

Telemetry & Control Systems

EFSI personnel have experience with the following ground systems.

NASA ASIST

Advanced Spacecraft Integration and System Test — NASA GSFC's real-time telemetry and command system used across all mission phases.
NASA ITOS

Integrated Test and Operations System — satellite command and control software supporting 15+ orbiting satellites.
Raytheon Eclipse

Commercial off-the-shelf satellite command and control system with 40+ installations worldwide.
OpenC3 COSMOS

Open-source command and telemetry system for spacecraft and ground hardware. Formerly Ball Aerospace COSMOS.

Ground System Engineering

Independent system engineering leadership for NASA ground systems.

Chief Engineer Roles

EFSI engineers have served as Chief Ground System Engineer for PACE, ICESat-2, and Space Network Update, and Chief Engineer for the OSAM-1 (RESTORE-L) robotic servicing mission.

Full Lifecycle Development

All aspects of development, from systems engineering to deployment and maintenance — following NASA standards such as 7150.2D. Independence is key to our approach.

Innovation

Developed key loader and software simulator at the antenna for testing of Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) — advancing ground-to-flight communication.

Custom Interfaces

CCSDS Space Link Extension (SLE) interfaces for standardized space-to-ground communication across multiple mission profiles.

Antenna Support & Communications

Technical support for antenna systems and remote ground stations, including higher-level support for Communications Support Officers (CSOs) coordinating spacecraft contact scheduling and link management.

Network Engineering & Implementation

Large-scale ground system network engineering and security.

ESMO Network Support

Hardware sustaining engineering and network security for ESMO — an enterprise ground system containing many Earth science missions under a single operational infrastructure.

VPN Solutions

VPN solutions to closed remote ground sites and enhanced access to IONet resources for secure multi-site operations.

Zero Trust Architecture

User Behavior Analytics (UBA) and Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) solutions built upon a prototyped NETOPS SSO solution.

Single Sign-On (SSO)

NETOPS SSO solution for authentication and authorization, solving issues with fragmented access across the network.

Secure MOC Design

Secure network design for advanced multi-mission MOC environments supporting both highly secure users and open science community access.

Ground System IT Security

Comprehensive IT security for ground system elements, including network security, access control, and NASA compliance.

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