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Welcome to the Internet home of Andrew Rechenberg.

(aka Flux, aka Andy) 😉

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The Foundations of Flight Operations

1. To instill in ourselves these qualities essential to professional excellence

  • Discipline … Being able to follow as well as lead, knowing that we must master ourselves before we can master our task.
  • Competence … There being no substitute for total preparation and complete dedication, for flight will not tolerate the careless or indifferent.
  • Confidence … Believing in ourselves as well as others, knowing that we must master fear and hesitation before we can succeed.
  • Responsibility … Realizing that it cannot be shifted to others, for it belongs to each of us; we must answer for what we do or fail to do.
  • Toughness … Taking a stand when we must; and to try again and again, even if it means following a more difficult path.
  • Teamwork … Respecting and using the ability of others. realizing that we work toward a common goal, for success depends on the efforts of all.
  • Vigilance … Being always attentive to the dangers of flight; never accepting success as a substitute for rigor in everything we do.

    • 2. To always be aware that, suddenly and unexpectedly, we may find ourselves in a role where our performance has the ultimate consequences.

    3. To recognize that the greatest error is not to have tried and failed, but that, in the trying, we do not give it our best effort.

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    I’m Staying at NASA

    2015 seems to be a big year for me. I lived somewhere outside my hometown for the first time ever. I just finished an internship at NASA, a place at which I’ve dreamed of working since I was eight years old. I walked in my college graduation ceremonies this past weekend.

    So, my birthday seems an appropriate time to tell everyone that I have accepted a full-time position as an International Space Station PLUTO flight controller and I will be working on site at NASA Johnson Space Center permanently. Which also means I will be moving to Houston permanently.

    Here’s a link to what a PLUTO controller does:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_controller#Plug-in_Port_Utilization_Officer_.28PLUTO.29

    The majority of the work is IT support for the computers and networks on the Space Station.

    I start my new position the first week in June. So much to think about and do before then. But first I want to thank some people.

    Thank you to Natcho, James, Liz, and everyone here in Houston for helping and supporting while I pursue one of my passions. Thank you to the NASA NA Directorate and especially the NE family – Bill Mcallister, Desiree, Bill McArthur, John, Peter, Matt, Sarah, Barbara, Larissa, Kristi, Alan, Deborah, Lori, Patrick, Helen, Chris, Mike, and Mesha.

    Thank you to the entire Spring 2015 intern and co-op class. You all are great people and will have incredible careers where ever you end up (hopefully at JSC). Special thanks to Izzy, Jonathon, Andy R (no Flux), Tyler, the guy with two first names: Christopher Patrick, Ryan, Matt. Thank you for making me feel like family. I expect to see you all back so we can run the place 🙂

    Thanks to my Sherman family for supporting me in this crazy adventure: Mikey, Robert, The Real Deal Neal, Danny D, G-Man, Slammers, Steph, Traci, Big Daddy, and D and Terry. You are the best team, and people I’ve ever worked with. I’m going to miss you all.

    Thank you to my boys back home who’ve supported me: Quinn, Farley, and Egyptian Mike. You are my brothers. Family always.

    Thank you to my blood brothers and sisters. Amy, Dan, Elizabeth, and Christie. Always there for me.

    To my Mom who is no longer with us, thank you for teaching me to follow my dreams. I hope I’m making you proud.

    To the most amazing friend anyone could ever imagine who I met while I was here: I feel like we’ve been friends for ages. Thank you for your help and support. You’re intelligent, kind – wonderful in every way 🙂

    Thank you to my Dad and my son. You have been more than understanding and supportive. I couldn’t have done any of this without you. I love you.

    It’s going to be a fun ride 🙂

    About

    My given name is Andrew Rechenberg (some people only know me as Flux). I’m a space nut, tech-head, nascent photographer, runner, student pilot, and DJ from Cincinnati, Ohio.

    I’ve been interested in computers, technology, and space (the NASA type of space) since an early age. I am an International Space Station PLUTO Flight Controller at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

    I saw my first Space Shuttle launch in February 2010 (STS-130, Endeavour) with my Dad and it was a great reason to start getting in to a hobby I’ve always been interested in – photography. It was also a good reason to purchase my first DSLR, a Canon 7D. Since then I’ve been trying to teach myself the art of photography. Hit my Flickr site to check out some of my attempts 🙂

    I graduated from the University of Illinois at Springfield Magna Cum Laude with a B.Sc in Computer Science in 2014.

    I am pursuing my private pilot certificate. If you’ve ever wanted to learn to fly, do it! Find a local flight school that offers discovery flights and see if you’d really like it. They’re usually around $50-100US and you get to fly for about an hour. Depending on your pilot you may even be able to take the controls for a few minutes.

    Well, those are the basics about me. Make sure to check out all my social media outlets – links are in the footer of every page on this site.

    Thanks for stopping by.

    Peace,
    Flux

    Photography

    I absolutely love photography. Come back soon for links to purchase some of my photos.

    Contact

    I will never sell your contact information nor use it for anything other than to responding to your query. Thanks for contacting me.

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