9.1 Definition

The on-board computer is the brain of the spacecraft, managing all commands and sensory input. The data storage holds the memories of the spacecraft, waiting to be transmitted or processed. The flight software contains the spacecraft’s thoughts in the form of algorithms and scripts. The data electrical lines are like the spacecraft’s nervous system, sending electrical impulses from the sensors to the onboard computer. The formatting of data packets is like the spacecraft’s language, encoding grammatical structures to communicate with other spacecraft or mission operators.