steely-eyed missile man

Meaning

Noun

• An astronaut or engineer who quickly devises an ingenious solution to a tough problem while under extreme pressure.

Origin

• 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 due to his resolution of an electrical system failure during the launch of the Apollo 12 mission (1969).