steely-eyed missile man

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]

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.

• steely-eyed