What is the occupation called that involves contacting astronauts who are in space and watching the controls?

Question

for instance, in armageddon when they are talking to the astronauts in space, they are in this control room and i was wondering what those people are called.

Answer 1

Flight controllers are personnel who aid in the operations of a space flight.

Common" flight control positions

There are some positions that have and will serve the same function in every vehicle's Flight Control team. The group of individuals serving in those positions may be different, but they will be called the same thing and serve the same function.

Flight Director (FLIGHT)
Leads the flight control team. "Flight" has overall operational responsiblity for missions and payload operations and for all decisions regarding safe, expedient flight. He monitors the other flight controllers, who are in constant verbal communication with him through intercom channels called "loops".

Mission Operations Directorate (MOD)
Is a representative of the senior management chain at JSC, and is there to help the flight director make those decisions that have no safety-of-flight consequences, but may have cost or public perception consequences. In no cases can the MOD rep overrule the flight director during a mission.

Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM)
Generally the only person who communicates directly with a manned space crew. During much of the U.S. manned space program, NASA felt it was important for all communication with the astronauts in space to pass through a single individual in the Mission Control Center. That role was designated the capsule communicator or capcom and was typically filled by another astronaut, often one of the backup crew members. For long duration missions, there would be more than one capcom, each assigned to a different shift team. After control of U.S. spaceflights moved to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in the early 1960s, capcoms used the radio call sign Houston.

Flight Surgeon (SURGEON)
Directs all operational medical activities concerned with the mission, including the status of the flight crew. Monitors crew health, provides crew consultation, and advises flight director of the crew's health status. A direct communications loop can be established between the mission astronauts and the flight surgeon, in accordance with doctor-patient confidentiality.

Public Affairs Officer (PAO)
Provides mission commentary to supplement and explain air-to-ground transmissions and flight control operations to the news media and the public.

Apollo flight control positions

Booster Systems Engineer (BOOSTER)
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). Booster had the power to send an abort command to the spacecraft.

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.

Flight Dynamics Officer (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 re-entry.

Guidance Officer (GUIDANCE)
Monitored onboard navigational systems and onboard guidance computer software. Responsible for determining the position of the spacecraft in space.

Integrated Communications Officer (INCO)
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.

Electrical, Environmental and Consumables Manager (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 is credited with saving the Apollo 12 mission after the spacecraft was struck by lightning during launch.


Guidance, Navigation, and Controls Systems Engineer (GNC)
Monitored all vehicle guidance, navigation and control systems. Also responsible for propulsion systems such as the Reaction and Control System (RCS) and the CSM main engine.


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.

Control officer (CONTROL)
Responsible for the Lunar Module guidance, navigation and control systems. Essentially the equivalent of the GNC for the lunar module.

Flight Activities Officer (FAO)
Planned and supported crew activities, checklists, procedures and schedules.

Organization and Procedures Officer (O&P)
Supervised the application of mission rules and established techniques to the conduct of the flight.


Network (NETWORK)
Supervised the network of ground stations that relayed telemetry and communications from the spacecraft.

Answer 2

Do you want to know how to become one of these people. The answer is that you need to become an aeronautical engineer or get a space science related degree at the Masters or doctorate level. Then you work on getting a job with NASA or JPL. You can also go the military route in the USAF after getting your degree and getting a job as an officer in the USAF Space Command. This experience will help you get your foot in the door of NASA when your military career ends.

Answer 3

Each one of those guys has a separate title and job. They're all specialists in a particular mission or piece of equipment on the shuttle. Their purpose is to keep the shuttle flying, the astronauts alive, direct experiments, and much, much more. The place they work is called Mission Control.

Answer 4

Hi. Not to sound silly but amateur radio operators can and do contact the ISS astronauts on a regular basis. I had contacts with the MIR crew.

Answer 5

Mission controllers

Answer 6

Houston

Answer 7

Guidance, Navigation, and Control- GNC

Answer 8

NASA employees!