José Moreno Hernández Flikr
José Moreno Hernández is an American engineer. He used to be an astronaut at NASA! He was one of the crew for the Space Shuttle mission STS-128 and worked as the head of the Materials and Processes department at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Early Life and Education
José was born on August 7, 1962, in a small town called French Camp in California. His parents were from Mexico and worked on a farm. When José was growing up, he helped the farm workers to pick the crops and taken them to different towns in California. He went to lots of different schools and didn’t learn to speak English until he was twelve years old. His first ever memory about space was of watching the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
In high school, José joined a program called "Upward Bound" that helped students get ready for college. He graduated from Franklin High School in Stockton, California. In college, he joined the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program. This program helped students from families with less money to learn more about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and get college degrees.
Even though José didn’t speak English well and his parents didn’t have much money whilst he was at school, he got a bachelor’s degree (a special award you can do after finishing school) in electrical engineering from the University of the Pacific, and later a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
NASA and the Road to Space
José really wanted to be an astronaut, but NASA didn’t choose him the first 11 times he applied! Even though this was hard, he didn’t give up. He worked as an engineer at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where he helped with the Space Shuttle program.
Finally, in 2004, NASA picked José to start training to be an astronaut. He became one of the few Hispanic astronauts in NASA’s history. He trained very hard at NASA’s Johnson Space Center to get ready for space missions.
In 2009, José’s dream came true. He flew into space on the Space Shuttle Discovery for the mission STS-128. He spent almost two weeks in space, doing experiments and delivering important supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).
José M. Hernández Reaching for the Stars Foundation
José’s journey from working on the farms to flying in space has inspired many people, especially from the Hispanic community, to follow careers in STEM. He believes that learning is the key to opening doors and that everyone, no matter where they come from, should have the chance to reach for their dreams.
In 2005, he started the José M. Hernández Reaching for the Stars Foundation to help students who may not have lots of money or need to work to help their families. The foundation focuses on showing students how great science, technology, engineering, and math can be. It also gives money to students who need extra help.
The foundation works to make sure that kids and their families understand how important school is. Each year, they hold a big science event to inspire young people to work in science and math. The foundation also helps build a group of support for children and families.
José’s autobiography, Reaching for the Stars: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Farmworker Turned Astronaut, was published in 2012. He is now the CEO and president of Tierra Luna Engineering. In 2016, he received the National Hispanic Hero Award for all of his hard work and inspiration.
José’s Tips for Success:
A Million Miles Away
In 2023, a movie about José’s life came out on Amazon Prime called A Million Miles Away. In the movie, actor Michael Peña plays José and shows his journey from being a student to becoming an astronaut.
Read a more advanced version of this story by Abigail Richardson here.
Page created on 11/14/2025 2:05:19 PM
Last edited 11/14/2025 2:11:48 PM
