operational spacecraft

Operational spacecraft are vehicles designed to carry out specific tasks in space, such as communication, navigation, weather monitoring, or scientific research. Once built and tested, they are launched into orbit where they perform their functions reliably over extended periods. These spacecraft are maintained and controlled by teams on the ground who send commands, monitor their systems, and receive data. They operate autonomously to a large extent but rely on ground support for adjustments and updates. In essence, operational spacecraft are the active tools in space that enable many of the services and knowledge we depend on daily.