An informal title of high respect given to flight controllers, engineers, or astronauts who execute a brilliant technical fix during a spaceflight emergency. The term originated during the early Apollo program to describe engineers who saved missions with rapid, outside-the-box thinking.
John became a steely-eyed missile man when he bypassed the faulty power bus with just seconds to spare.
This is one of the highest compliments you can receive in mission control.
Related terms
Apollo
The historic United States space program that successfully landed humans on the Moon.
CAPCOM
Short for Capsule Communicator, this is the designated flight controller who speaks directly with the astronaut crew during a space mission.
FOP
Form of payment, used in airline ticketing and reservation systems.