Meet: William M. Foster

Who I Am
I am a Ground Controller in the White Flight Control Room, which is the formal name of NASA's new Mission Control Center front room. The Ground Control Officer, more commonly known by the nickname of "GC", is responsible for providing all other flight controllers with timely and reliable access to shuttle data, as well as maintaining voice and data communications between the MCC and the space shuttle. This includes managing MCC and worldwide network resources required to maintain 2-way communications with the orbiting shuttle (and space station in the near future). The GC manages the largest back room support staff in the Flight Control community since we are also responsible for the MCC facility and data processing systems. We work the front right console in the White FCR (when looking from the back of the room to the front screens). Our support staff, known as the Operations Support Team (OST), works on various floors in the control center complex and are responsible for configuring and operating the computers, front end processors, file servers, data circuits, voice distribution and video systems in the MCC. During routine operations the GC manages the OST, configures front screen video and group display clocks, interfaces with NASA and Air Force representatives in managing the worldwide network of ground stations and satellite communications systems, and maintains overall responsibility for the health of the MCC.

I have been a GC since June of 1997 and have worked orbit shifts for two shuttle missions (STS 90 and STS 91) and ascent/entry for STS-95. I am currently assigned ascent/entry duties and am scheduled to support the next several shuttle launch and landing operations.

My Career Journey
I began college as a journalism major due to a love of writing and working for my junior high and high school newspapers. I soon realized that I was not interested in the mechanics of journalism and transferred to electrical engineering. I later transferred to the related field of Electro-Optics and received a BS degree from the University of Houston at Clear Lake in May of 1980. I began my professional career as an associate engineer at Ford Aerospace & Communications Corporation that same month. I was responsible for designing, testing and installing various computer terminal and peripheral equipment in the Mission Control Center. I progressed through the engineering ranks over the next 17 years, (as well as through several company changes due to the way contracts are handled at NASA) eventually managing a group of engineers responsible for the voice, data communications and video systems in the control center. In June of 1997, I transferred to the Ground Control office, and the following March I was certified as a ground controller.

Influences
My parents were among the most important influences in my life. They set a high standard for personal conduct and work ethic that has helped me a lot in my career. I also read a tremendous amount of science fiction and adventure books, which both fired my imagination and gave me a desire to be involved with the manned space program. Gene Kranz was another positive influence in my life. I remember as a kid seeing him in news coverage of the Apollo flights and being disappointed in the actor playing him in the made-for-TV movie about Apollo 13 ("Houston, We Have a Problem"). After going to work at NASA, I would occasionally see him in the control center lobby, which felt something like seeing a movie star you never expected to meet. After working at JSC for a number of years and getting to know him a little bit better (as well as working with current flight directors), there is still a feeling of awe about him, and his "Tough and Competent" attitude that evolved from the Apollo 1 fire still leads the way in molding attitudes for the flight control community.

Preparation for Career
Preparation for your career, regardless of which way you choose, should begin NOW! It actually should have already begun, no matter how old you are or what grade you're in. Preparation begins with good study habits and an attitude of truly wanting to learn everything you can about whatever subject you are studying. For a NASA career, you should concentrate on the basics of reading, writing, math and science. My personal career preparations began late, in part due to my change from journalism to engineering. Even in my last year of college I did not expect to begin a career at NASA. I was driving trucks for a local department store and thought I would be working in the relatively new field of laser technology. There were not a lot of jobs in that area in Houston, and I did not want to relocate. A classmate had been offered a job at Ford Aerospace and gave me the name of the man who hired him. After a phone call and job interview, I was heading in the same direction. Had I known more about NASA at the time, I would have applied for a job in flight control immediately, but it took me 17 years to make the change.

Personal Information
I enjoy interacting with the public on the space program. I have spoken to several schools about the Mission Control Center's role in manned space flight, and I give tours through the MCC whenever the occasion arises. When not at work, I spend a lot of time working homework with my children still at home and serve as the advancement chairman for my youngest son's cub scout pack. I am a member of the Volunteer Bay Area Advisory Council and am on the board of directors for the Bay Area Council on Drugs & Alcohol (BACODA). I drive a large train float for the Foley's Department store in Houston area parades (Thanksgiving, Rodeo, Rockets Victory Parade, and even had former first lady Barbara Bush as a passenger). This is a carryover of driving trucks for Foley's during college. My son, Stephen, sits up front with me and helps out a lot with driving duties. I drove the train in a Houston parade honoring John Glenn and the STS-95 crew, which was really fun since I worked the mission from the MCC.

My Family: Who We Are
I am married with four children. The oldest, Jeremy, is in his last year at Milligan College in Tennessee. Kelly started her first year at the University of Texas in August of 1998. Stephanie is in eighth grade; and the youngest, Stephen, is in second grade in La Porte ISD. We have two poodles and a fluctuating number of fish. My wife, Debbye, manages the house and kids while I work the very unpredictable schedule of a flight controller.

My Future Plans and Goals
My plans for the immediate future are to continue training for ascent/entry. I am still relatively new as a GC, and there are a lot more things to learn to be able to effectively handle contingencies in real time flight operations. Long term, I would like to transfer to another flight control position dealing with shuttle systems and develop the knowledge and skills required to apply for a position as a flight director.

Archived Chats

• June 28, 2000
• May 11, 1999