Flight Controller

Flight Controller

Flight controllers are personnel who aid in the operations of a space flight, working in Mission Control Centers such as NASA's Mission Control Center, or ESA's Operations Center. Flight controllers work at computer consoles and use telemetry to monitor various technical aspects of a space mission in real time. Each controller is an expert in a specific area, and is in constant communication with additional experts in the "back room". The Flight Director, the lead flight controller, monitors the activities of a team of flight controllers and has overall responsibility for the mission success and safety. The team is designated by a team name, frequently a color, constellation or stone (e.g., Eugene F. Kranz led the White Team, and was known as "White Flight").

This article primarily discusses NASA's flight controllers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The various national and commercial flight control facilities have their own teams, which may be described on their own pages.