NX-Control

The flight director station in NX Control

NX Control was the ground-based control center for flights of the NX Program. The facility was operated by Starfleet Mission Control under the command of then-Commodore Maxwell Forrest. Vulcan officials, representatives of the Vulcan Advisory Council were also present. (ENT: "First Flight")

All telemetry and communications from the NX test vehicles were directed there. The pilot was often in communication with a fellow pilot who relayed instructions.

Then-Commander Jonathan Archer was the director of the first flight past warp 2 by A.G. Robinson in the NX-Alpha in 2143.

Background

• Due to security reasons, Vulcan officials were required to have special IDs in order to be present in the room.
• NX Control was presumably located on Earth.
• The set for NX Control is reminiscent of real-life NASA mission control centers.
• The idea of a fellow pilot being the communicator to the mission is also borrowed from NASA. The CAPCOM is an astronaut who relays instructions to a crew in orbit.
• According to mission patches seen in the 602 Club, the motto of Starfleet Mission Control was "Res gesta par excellentia", or more likely "Res gesta per excellentiam", which translates to "Achieve through Excellence", one of the mottoes of NASA's mission control.