The apex MCC: Blueprint of an Open-Source, Secure, CCSDS-Compatible Ground Segment for Sounding Rockets, CubeSats, and Small Lander Missions

The operation of microgravity research missions, such as sounding rockets, CubeSats, and small landers, typically relies on proprietary mission control infrastructures, which limit reproducibility, portability, and interdisciplinary use. In this work, we present an open-source blueprint for a distributed ground-segment architecture designed to support telemetry, telecommand, and mission operations across institutional and geographic boundaries. The system integrates containerized services, broker bridging for publish–subscribe communication, CCSDS-compliant telemetry and telecommand handling, and secure virtual private networks with two-factor authentication. A modular mission control system based on Yamcs was extended with custom plug-ins for CRC verification, packet reassembly, and command sequencing. The platform was validated during the MAPHEUS-10 sounding rocket mission, where it enabled uninterrupted remote commanding between Sweden and Germany and achieved end-to-end command–response latencies of ~550 ms under flight conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first open-source ground-segment framework deployed in a space mission. By combining elements from computer science, aerospace engineering, and systems engineering, this work demonstrates how interdisciplinary integration enables resilient, reproducible, and portable mission operations. The blueprint offers a practical foundation for future interdisciplinary research missions, extending beyond sounding rockets to CubeSats, ISS experiments, and planetary landers. This study is part two of a three-part series describing the apex Mk.2/Mk.3 experiments, open-source ground segment, and service module simulator.