Flight controller

This article is about the situation at NASA. There are similar positions in other Mission Control Centers too.

Flight controller
General Information
Duty	Monitor and control space flight missions
Location	Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
Part of	Mission Control

Flight controllers are ground-based personnel who aid space flight from the Mission Control Center at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. They work as a team, where each controller is an expert in a specific area. They use telemetry to monitor all aspects of space missions in real time, assited by additional experts in the backrooms and various other facilities. Flight controllers are responsible for the success of the mission and for the lives of the astronauts under their watch. Head of the flight controllers team is the flight director.

Important positions

Flight director

Main article: Flight director

The flight director or just Flight leads the flight controllers team and monitors their activities. This person has the overall responsibility for success and safety over the mission.

CAPCOM

The Spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) is the person that communicates with the crew of a crewed space flight. The role was first designated capsule communicator, dating back to Project Mercury when the spacecrafts were originally called "capsules".

The position if often filled by other astronauts, usually from the backup-crew, because it is believed that an astronaut is best able to understand the situation in a spacecraft, and pass information in the clearest way. The spacecraft communicator is generally the only person to directly communicate with the crew. When non-astronauts are communicating with the spacecraft, CAPCOM acts as the communications controller. CAPCOM always uses the radio call-sign Houston.

During the Apollo missions 24 and 25, Gordo Stevens was the CAPCOM, sometimes assisted by Danielle Poole.

GUIDO

The Guidance officer (GUIDO) is monitoring all navigational and guidance systems aboard the space vehicle. The person is responsible for determining the exact position of the spacecraft in space.

During the late 60s and in the 70s, Bill Strausser was working as GUIDO.

FIDO

The Flight dynamics officer (FIDO) is responsible for the flight path of the spacecraft. This includes atmospheric and orbital flights, as well as the lunar trajectory for flights to the Moon. The FIDO monitors the vehicle performance during the powered flight phases and calculates orbital maneuvres and the resulting trajectories.

During the Apollo 12 mission in 1969, Margo Madison was working as FIDO.

Others

The team of flight controllers includes many more positions which may also vary depending on the type of the mission. Some of them are:

• Flight surgeon, directs all medical activities during the mission.
• Booster systems officer, monitoring propulsion-related aspects of the launch vehicle during prelaunch and ascent.
• Control officer, responsible for guidance, navigation, and control of the LEM.
• Flight activities officer (FAO), responsible for crew activities, checklists, procedures and schedules.
• Electrical, environmental, and consumables manager (EECOM), monitoring all kind of such systems of the spacecraft.
• Telemetry, electrical, EVA mobility unit officer (TELMU), monitoring the LEM's electrical and environmental systems, and astronaut's spacesuits.
• Integrated communications officer (INCO), responsible for all data, voice and video communications systems and the telemetry link between the vehicle and Mission Control.

Gallery

Flight controllers at Mission Control

Flight director Gene Kranz, 1969

Charles Duke, CAPCOM during Apollo 11, 1969

Margo Madison as FIDO during Apollo 12, 1969

Gordo as CAPCOM, 1974

Gordo as CAPCOM, 1974

Danielle & Gordo CAPCOM

Bill Strausser as GUIDO, 1969

Bill Strausser as GUIDO, 1974

See also

• Flight director
• Mission Control
• Chief of Astronaut Office
• Johnson Space Center
• NASA

External links

•   Flight controller on Wikipedia