NASAis particularly concerned with reducing mission operations costs through increased automation. Specifically, NASAhas been studying the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to further automatemission ground operations. This paper examinesthe operations procedures within NASAMission Control Centers in order to uncoverthe level of automationthat currently exists to determine whether it is necessary and cost effective to implement AI technology within them. Based on an assessment of mission operations procedureswithin three representative control centers, this paper recommendsspecific areas where there is potential for mission cost reduction through the application of AIand other automationtechnology.