Meet: Robert Dempsey, Ph.D.

Who I Am and What I Do

I am a flight director for the International Space Station (ISS). To know what a flight director does, think Gene Kranz in the movie Apollo 13.  For any mission to be successful the most critical technology that is used is people!  Each system - be it power, computers, life support etc. - is operated by a team of people.  When you see TV images of the control room you will see a number of people sitting at different computer consoles.  These are the front room team members, one for each system.  Usually one or more people are supporting from the backroom. The flight director oversees all these controller to ensure that everyone works as a team as the day’s activities are executed. In addition, engineers from Boeing support from yet another control room.   

When I am not on console I am planning, training and working on other missions.  For example, I am the lead flight director for Increment 15 which begins in April 2007 and working on the STS-122/1E mission where the European Space Agency’s Columbus laboratory module will be attached to the ISS.

My Career Journey

My journey is a classic example of how you can know exactly what you want to do and how to get there, but then take a totally unexpected path! When I was about 8 years old, I decided I wanted to be an astronaut. Well, of course, every kid then wanted to be one! At the very least, I wanted to work in the space program. Since I loved astronomy, I figured I could work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on some spectacular mission to another planet.

I pursued dual degrees in astronomy and physics at the University of Michigan and went on to get my Ph.D. My plan was to study planetary astronomy so I could go to JPL. But at the University of Toledo, where I received my Ph.D., we had this wonderful, large telescope with a 40-inch mirror. I became heavily involved with observing, staying up all night, and watching the stars. So peaceful. However, they studied the stars, not planets, with the telescope. So, slowly, I became a stellar astronomer doing research that I published in journals.

After graduating, I went to work as a postdoctoral researcher at a stellar astronomy program in Boulder, Colorado. There, I worked with many NASA programs, including the Hubble Space Telescope, and got to travel all over the world. However, I still wanted to work on a space mission (recall the JPL dream?). So I left the research center and began working at the institute that operates the Hubble Space Telescope in Baltimore, Maryland. Although I loved working with the telescope (and doing some observational astronomy with it), the greatest thrill was working with the astronauts for the Hubble Servicing Missions. I even got to see the launch of a shuttle - indescribably spectacular!

My soul, however, was restless and burned to be "closer to the action." I sent job applications to companies in Houston that worked on the shuttle or space station programs but got no response. Determined, I flew down and went to a job fair in Houston, and it worked!

I was hired into the Onboard Data Interface and Networks (ODIN) group working on the ISS.  That group supports the computer network that operates every aspect of the ISS’s operation.  I worked there for 5 years supporting a number of missions including STS-98/5A where the US laboratory was installed and activated.  Later I moved to the Communications and Tracking group which is responsible for all the audio and video systems of ISS including the voice link between the vehicle and the ground.  After working on in the ISS program for 8 years I was selected as a flight director.  I feel extremely fortunate to be selected into such a fine group.  There have only been about 60 flight directors since the beginning of NASA.  The work is extremely hard but challenging.  I am very happy to be doing what I do.

Influences

I feel very lucky. Besides a warm, secure home, my parents were especially good at giving me the support I needed as my interest in science developed at an early age. I have very fond memories of my dad taking me to Ann Arbor on Friday evenings, after what I am sure was a long week at work, so I could sit mesmerized listening to lectures on astronomy and the space program given regularly at the university there.   Since then my wife Dorothea has been great for support and inspiration.

Preparation for Career

One rule we had in our house that probably had a big impact on me was that you could never have too many books. A passionate reader, I absorbed all the astronomy books I could get my hands on. I still read a great deal - anything from science to fiction to history to biography. Somehow, though, it seems like I never have enough time to read.

Personal Information

I guess I would best describe myself as an adventurer. My passion is trying new things. Although I love to backpack in the mountains, I also love to travel the open roads with only a map and no clue to where I am going.  My wife Dorothea prefers I have a clue but fortunately shares my love of adventure. My favorite thing to do is to travel anywhere with my wife. I especially love to travel in a foreign country - even if I can't speak the language. People are so wonderful all over the world; you can always bridge the gap. I think it was my experiences traveling the world that really opened up my love of cooking. Bread is a particular favorite of mine, especially European styles, but I also love to make intricate French or Italian desserts. Few things I ever make come out the exact same way twice - I always have to tinker, play, and experiment

Archived Chats

• July 21, 1998