Before every human spaceflight mission, astronauts and flight controllers go through hundreds of hours of training. Our speaker for this month, Mr. Frank Hughes, was a part of that training, beginning with the Apollo program all the way to the International Space Station program. In this talk, Mr. Hughes will share his experiences as he witnessed and shaped the evolution of training for more than 40 years.
Frank began his career with NASA in 1966 at the Kennedy Space Center, where he was involved with the Apollo Mission Simulators as a simulation developer and instructor. His primary expertise was in Apollo Guidance Computers and in Cislunar Navigation.
Mr. Hughes moved to JSC in 1971, where he worked as a simulation developer and flight planner with the group that performed the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests. Frank expanded his role in flight simulation operations to prepare Shuttle astronauts for orbital flight. His primary responsibilities were in the Shuttle Orbiter Computer Guidance and Navigation Systems.
In 1983, Frank became Chief of the Flight Training Branch, where he was responsible for all astronaut training from classrooms to flight simulators.
In 1990, he became Chief of the Space Station Training Division. His responsibilities included defining the training required for astronaut crews and flight controllers for what at the time was called the U.S. Space Station Freedom. This task included the development of the curriculum, training materials, and training facilities for Space Station Operations.
In 1993 as the Division Chief of the Space Flight Training Division, Frank led an organization responsible for all Shuttle and Space Station Training. His responsibilities included the development of new technologies for training and education in the United States as well as the development and conduct of the training for all flight crews and flight controllers from other countries. He was the inaugural Chair of the International Training Control Board, guiding the multi-national training organizations toward a cohesive goal.
Mr. Hughes retired from NASA in 1999 after 33 years of service. Following that retirement, Hughes spent 20 years creating Virtual Reality training software with Tietronix Software, Inc. He retired from Tietronix in 2018 and again in 2021.
After the presentation --- Keg of The Month! Join fellow colleagues for fellowship, beer, and snacks at the Bluebonnet Pavilion! Start time is appx. 4 pm.
