steely-eyed missile man

English

Etymology

American circa 1960s, as found in biographies about NASA astronauts and flight controllers. A complimentary term, apparently used originally in reference to flight controller John Aaron[1] due to his resolution of an electrical system failure during the launch of the Apollo 12 mission (1969).[2]

Noun

steely-eyed missile man (plural steely-eyed missile men)

  1. (US, slang) An astronaut or engineer who quickly devises an ingenious solution to a tough problem while under extreme pressure.

See also

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