NASA has appointed a Mt. Lebanon native as a flight director in Mission Control in Houston, where she'll manage shuttle flights, space-station expeditions and eventual moon missions.

Heather Rarick, a 1987 Penn State University graduate, was one of two flight directors chosen.

Mission Control has 28 active flight directors, including those in training. There have been 69 flight directors in the nation's history of human spaceflight.

Also selected was Ron Spencer, a native of Decatur, Ill.

"Both of these individuals bring wide-ranging experience and strengths to complement the Flight Director Office," stated Phil Engelauf, chief of NASA's Flight Director Office.

	Heather Rarick

"They also possess the leadership skills necessary to ensure NASA accomplishes its near-term exploration goals of completing the space station, safely flying the shuttle through retirement and returning to the moon."

Ms. Rarick said she decided to shoot for the flight-director position in 1988 when she first saw the Johnson Space Center, the Mission Control room and how everyone operated there.

"Personally and professionally, this is a huge accomplishment and a great challenge," she said. "It's hard to put into words, I'm that excited."

The flight director is in full control of Mission Control during a space mission and makes final decisions about every detail, NASA spokeswoman Kylie Clem said.

Decisions are based on information provided by space controllers in the front and back rooms of Mission Control who observe operations of onboard systems in the spacecraft to make sure they're working properly.

Each mission has a lead flight director, but each shift has a flight director in charge during that shift.

"They are selected as the cream of the crop," Ms. Clem said, describing flight directors and noting that each must undergo four to six months of additional training. "The flight director has to have oversight and knowledge of everything needed to operate the spacecraft, perform the mission and make decisions."

Ms. Rarick is a 1983 graduate of Mt. Lebanon High School.

After earning a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from Penn State University, Ms. Rarick received a master's degree in business administration at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, in 1992.

She began her career as an ascent flight design engineer for the space shuttle at Rockwell Space Operations Co. in Houston. She also supported Mission Control as a targeting operator for shuttle launches and ascents.

She continued her career with the United Space Alliance, working for its chief information office as a project manager. Returning to Mission Control in 1999, she worked in the International Liaison Office as the operations lead and served as liaison between U.S. and Russian space officials during missions.

In 2001, Ms. Rarick began working for NASA in the same capacity but also took over other responsibilities involving Russian officers. In 2003, she became chairwoman of the Russian Joint Operations Panel, which works on upcoming events and addresses long-term resolution of U.S.-Russian operational issues.