ground control

American  

noun

1. an airport facility that supervises the movement of aircraft and ground vehicles on ramps and taxiways.

---

ground control British  

noun

1. the personnel, radar, computers, etc, on the ground that monitor the progress of aircraft or spacecraft

2. a system for feeding continuous radio messages to an aircraft pilot to enable him to make a blind landing

---

Other Word Forms

• ground controller noun

Etymology

Origin of ground control

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

The excitement at ground control was palpable, Gibbons said, adding that it was a "special" moment filled with tears, hugs and laughter.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

All the voices, from ground control to awe-struck passengers, were female.

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2025

The Super Heavy booster managed to return to its launchpad roughly seven minutes after lift-off as planned, prompting an eruption of applause from ground control teams.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2025

There was a sublimely silly video in which Mulaney plays a ground control officer trying to help a chimp astronaut return to Earth early in the show.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2024

In case of emergency, the code would be radioed up from ground control.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin