This list describe NASA's flight controllers, primarily at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, but also associated positions at other organizations serving NASA.
Apollo flight control positions
The flight control positions used during the Apollo era were predominantly identical to the positions used for the Mercury and Gemini vehicles. This was because of the similarity of the vehicle design of the capsules used for the three programs.
Booster systems engineer The booster systems engineer monitored and evaluated performance of propulsion-related aspects of the launch vehicle during prelaunch and ascent. During the Apollo program there were three booster positions, who worked only until trans-lunar injection (TLI) was complete; after that, their consoles were vacated. Booster had the power to send an abort command to the spacecraft. All booster technicians were employed at the Marshall Space Flight Center and reported to JSC for the launches.
Control officer The control officer was responsible for the Apollo Lunar Module guidance, navigation, and control systems – essentially the equivalent of the GNC for the Command and Service Module.
Electrical, environmental, and consumables manager (EECOM) The EECOM monitored cryogenic levels for fuel cells, and cabin cooling systems; electrical distribution systems; cabin pressure control systems; and vehicle lighting systems. EECOM originally stood for electrical, environmental and communication systems. The Apollo EECOM was responsible for CSM communications through Apollo 10. Afterward the communication task was moved to a new console named INCO. Perhaps the most famous NASA EECOMs are Seymour "Sy" Liebergot, the EECOM on duty at the time of the oxygen tank explosion on Apollo 13, and John Aaron, who designed the drastically reduced power budget for its return. Aaron also saved the Apollo 12 mission by realizing that using the backup power supply for telemetry of analog capsule sensors would allow diagnosis of all the seemingly-unrelated problems caused by a lightning strike.
Flight director The flight directors held overall control of all of the individual positions in the MOCR. Some Apollo era directors were: Gene Kranz, White Flight. Apollo missions 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16 and 17. Glynn Lunney, Black Flight. Apollo missions 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15. Gerry Griffin, Gold Flight. Apollo missions 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. Milt Windler, Maroon Flight. Apollo missions 8, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 15. Clifford E. Charlesworth, Green Flight. Apollo missions 8, 11 and 12. M. P. (Pete) Frank, Orange Flight. Apollo missions 9, 12, 16, 17, and Apollo–Soyuz. Neil B. Hutchinson, Silver Flight. Apollo missions 16, 17 and Apollo-Soyuz.
Flight activities officer (FAO) The FAO planned and supported crew activities, checklists, procedures and schedules.
Flight dynamics officer (FDO or FIDO) Responsible for the flight path of the space vehicle, both atmospheric and orbital. During lunar missions the FDO was also responsible for the lunar trajectory. The FDO monitored vehicle performance during the powered flight phase and assessed abort modes, calculated orbital maneuvers and resulting trajectories, and monitored vehicle flight profile and energy levels during reentry.
Guidance officer (GUIDANCE or GUIDO) The guidance officer monitored on board navigational systems and on board guidance computer software. Responsible for determining the position of the spacecraft in space. One well-known guidance officer was Steve Bales, who gave the go call when the Apollo 11 guidance computer came close to overloading during the first lunar descent.
Guidance, navigation, and controls systems engineer (GNC) The GNC monitored all vehicle guidance, navigation, and control systems. Also responsible for propulsion systems such as the service propulsion system and reaction control system (RCS).
Integrated communications officer (INCO) The INCO was responsible for all data, voice and video communications systems, including monitoring the configuration of in-flight communications and instrumentation systems. Duties also included monitoring the telemetry link between the vehicle and the ground, and overseeing the uplink command and control processes. The position was formed from the combination of LEM and CSM communicator positions.
Network Supervised the network of ground stations that relayed telemetry and communications from the spacecraft.
Organization and procedures officer (O&P) Supervised the application of mission rules and established techniques to the conduct of the flight.
Retrofire officer (RETRO) Drew up abort plans and was responsible for determination of retrofire times. During lunar missions the RETRO planned and monitored Trans Earth Injection (TEI) maneuvers, where the Apollo Service Module fired its engine to return to Earth from the Moon.
Telemetry, electrical, EVA mobility unit officer (TELMU) Monitored the lunar module electrical and environmental systems, plus lunar astronaut spacesuits. Essentially the equivalent of the EECOM for the lunar module.
Shuttle and Space Station flight controllers NASA currently has a group of flight controllers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston for the International Space Station (ISS). The Space Shuttle flight control team (as well as those for the earlier Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab programs) were also based there. Console manning for short-duration and extended operations differed in operational philosophy.
The Space Shuttle (and prior program) flight controllers worked relatively brief periods: The several minutes of ascent, the few days the vehicle was in orbit, and reentry. The duration of operations for Space Shuttle flight controllers was short and time-critical. A failure on the Shuttle could leave flight controllers little time for talking, putting pressure on them to respond quickly to potential failures. The Space Shuttle flight controllers generally had limited capability to send commands to the shuttle for system reconfigurations.
In contrast, the ISS flight controllers work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This allows the ISS flight controllers time to discuss off-nominal telemetry. The ISS flight controllers have the opportunity to interface with many groups and engineering experts. The mentality of an ISS flight controller is to preempt a failure. Telemetry is closely monitored for any signatures that may begin to indicate future catastrophic failures. Generally, ISS flight controllers take a prophylactic approach to space vehicle operations. There are command capabilities that ISS flight controllers use to preclude a potential failure.
Shuttle flight control positions (1981-2011) Many Apollo program mission control positions were carried forward to the Space Shuttle program. However, other positions were eliminated or redefined, and new positions were added.
Positions remaining generally the same: Booster FAO FDO Guidance (became guidance and procedures officer, or GPO) GNC INCO (became instrumentation and communications officer)
Positions eliminated or modified: RETRO EECOM (duties split up) TELMU CONTROL
After retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011, the operational concept of flight control of a launched crewed vehicle was used as the basis for the Boeing Starliner Commercial Crew vehicle starting in 2019.
Assembly and checkout officer (ACO)/payloads Responsible for all Space Shuttle-based activities related to construction and operation of the Space Station, including logistics and transfer items stored in a multi-purpose logistics module (MPLM) or Spacehab. Also responsible for all Shuttle payloads, from Spacehab to the Hubble Space Telescope to deployable satellites. On Shuttle missions that did not dock with the ISS, this position was known as payloads.
Booster systems engineer (BOOSTER) Monitored and evaluated performance of propulsion-related aspects of the launch vehicle during prelaunch and ascent, including the main engines and solid rocket boosters.
Data processing system engineer (DPS) Responsible for data processing systems in a space flight. This included monitoring the on board General Purpose Computers (GPCs), flight-critical, launch and payload data buses, the multi-function electronic display system (MEDS), solid-state mass memory (SSMM) units, flight critical and payload multiplexer/de-multiplexer (MDM) units, master timing unit (MTU), backup flight control (BFC) units and system-level software. The Space Shuttle general purpose computers were a critical subsystem, and the vehicle cannot fly without them.
Emergency, environmental, and consumables management (EECOM) EECOM's revamped Space Shuttle responsibilities included the atmospheric pressure control and revitalization systems, the cooling systems (air, water, and freon), and the supply/waste water system. EECOM's critical function was to maintain the systems, such as atmosphere and thermal control, that keep the crew alive. The corresponding multi-purpose support room (MPSR) positions are: * Life support – monitored atmospheric pressure control systems, // maintenance and management, air cooling equipment, waste water systems, * Thermal – monitored water and refrigerant coolant loop systems, supply water maintenance
Electrical generation and integrated lighting systems engineer (EGIL) Monitored cryogenic levels for the fuel cells, electrical generation and distribution systems on the spacecraft, and vehicle lighting. This was a portion of the job formerly done by EECOM. MPSR positions * EPS – provided expert support monitoring of the fuel cells, cryo system, and electrical bus system
Extravehicular activity officer (EVA) Responsible for all spacesuit and spacewalking-related tasks, equipment and plans when the EVA took place from the shuttle.
Flight activities officer (FAO) Planned and supported crew activities, checklists, procedures, schedules, attitude maneuvers and timelines. MPSR positions: Attitude and pointing officer (Pointing) – Generated and maintained the attitude timeline, monitored the executions of all attitude maneuvers, provided attitude maneuver inputs for the crew, generated star pairs and attitudes for IMU aligns. Message and timeline support (MATS) – Created messages based on MCC inputs, created the execute package, monitored crew activities and assessed impacts to the timeline. Orbital communications officer (OCA) – Transferred electronic messages to the crew, synced the crews e-mail, uplinked and downlinked files for the crew. Timeline – Generated the pre-flight timelines for the flight plan, monitored in-flight crew activities, coordinated activities with other flight controllers.
Flight dynamics officer (FDO or FIDO) Responsible for the flight path of the Space Shuttle, both atmospheric and orbital. FDO monitored vehicle performance during the powered flight phase and assessed abort modes, calculated orbital maneuvers and resulting trajectories, and monitored vehicle flight profile and energy levels during re-entry. MPSR positions Abort support (ascent only) – provided expert support during the powered flight portion of an RTLS or TAL ARD support (ascent only) – maintained the abort region determinator processor which is used to predict trajectory capabilities during powered flight Ascent support team (ascent only) – monitored the winds and weather at the launch site, help compute day-of-launch updates Dynamics – maintained the inputs to the mission operation computer for all processors Entry console – provided expert support for entry, approach, and landing Entry support team (ascent and entry) – monitored the winds and weather at the various potential landing sites, prepare trajectory adjustments