One thing I've always been amazed at when reading about spacecraft is the incredibly detailed level of control the scientists have over the craft. It's somethi

One thing I've always been amazed at when reading about spacecraft is the incredibly detailed level of control the scientists have over the craft. It's something I'm not used to here on earth -- when something breaks, I've learned you either crack it open and replace the part or buy a new device :) Can someone talk (or provide a link) about how this sort of system design works?