HEMPHILL, TX – The Patricia Huffman Smith NASA Museum is honored to host Frank Hughes, who served as NASA’s Chief of Space Flight Training, on Friday, March 21, 2025.
Hughes will offer presentations to school groups in the museum’s auditorium and will sign copies of his book, ‘The Great Apollo Train Wreck,’ in the main gallery.
He will also keynote the museum’s second ‘Night at the Museum’ event of the year. That evening from 6 to 9 p.m. Hughes will give an interactive presentation. The event is free for the community. Light refreshments will be served and door prizes will also be given out.
Hughes began his career with NASA in 1966 at the NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida, where he was involved with the Apollo Mission Simulators as a simulation instructor and developer. His primary expertise was in Apollo Guidance Computers and in cislunar navigation.
Hughes moved to the Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas in 1976, Frank 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, Hughes became Chief of the Flight Training Branch, where he was responsible for all astronaut training from classroom to flight simulators.
In 1990, he became Chief of the Space Station Training Division where he was responsible for defining training required for astronaut crews and the flight controllers for the U.S. Space Station. This task included the development of the curriculum, training material, and the training facilities for Space Station Operations.
In 1993 as Chief of the Space Flight Training Division, Hughes headed an organization responsible for all Shuttle and Space Station Training. His responsibilities included 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.
Hughes retired from NASA in 1999 after 33 years of service, and spent 20 years creating VR training operations using software developed by Tietronix Software. He retired from Tietronix in 2018. He was called back to Tietronix and retired again in 2021.
Hughes has been a longtime supporter and friend of the ‘Remembering Columbia’ Museum. In 2016, he and the late James Dean collaborated on the design, construction, and funding for the Shuttle flight deck simulator now on display in the Digital Learning Center.
Interested educators should contact the museum directly to confirm availability to accommodate your group.
The Patricia Huffman Smith NASA Museum is located at 375 Sabine Street in Hemphill.
The Patricia Huffman Smith NASA Museum ‘Remembering Columbia’ serves as a memorial to the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy and as an educational facility dedicated to creating science and technology-inspiring learning opportunities for children and adults. Learn more at www.NASAColumbiaMuseum.com.
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Patricia Huffman Smith NASA Museum 'Remembering Columbia' 