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From the Fields to the Stars:
The Mexican American Farmworker Who Went Farther Than Anyone
JOSE HERNANDEZ WAS REJECTED ELEVEN TIMES BY NASA BEFORE BECOMING AN ASTRONAUT AND INSPIRING A MOTION PICTURE
›› BY: LUCA VERNE | LOS ÁNGELES
The moment that changed his life caught him by surprise with his hands in the dirt. Jose Hernandez was hoeing a row of sugar beets at sixteen years old in a field near Stockton, California when he heard on his transistor radio that Franklin Chang-Diaz had been selected as an astronaut. He set down the hoe, looked up at the sky, and made a decision that would take decades to materialize.
Hernández was born on August 7, 1962, in French Camp, California, son of Julia Moreno and Salvador Hernández, Mexican immigrants originally from Ticuitaco, in the municipality of La Piedad, Michoacán. He grew up following the harvest cycles, moving with his family from camp to camp
The story of José Hernández demonstrates that the American Dream is alive when family sacrifice is combined with education, perseverance, and opportunity.”
8 through Northern California, not learning English until he was 12. Nothing on his horizon pointed toward space. And yet, he made it.
His father taught him a six-step philosophy for reaching any goal: know what you want, educate yourself, work hard, persevere, keep the faith, and never give up. José took them to heart. He studied electrical engineering at the University of the Pacific, completed a graduate degree at UC Santa Barbara, and went on to the prestigious Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
But the space dream remained out of reach. He was rejected eleven consecutive times by NASA.
Anyone else would have quit. He learned to scuba dive, studied Russian, cultivated every skill that might set him apart. On the twelfth attempt, in 2004, the agency finally said yes.
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On August 28,
2009, he
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
Born: August 7, 1962, French Camp, California.
Background: Son of Mexican migrant farmworkers.
Education: Electrical Engineering, University of the Pacifi c.
NASA: Selected in 2004 after 11 rejections. Mission: Flight STS-128( 2009) to the ISS. Time in orbit: 13 days.
Notable fact: His life inspired the fi lm A Million Miles Away.
launched as flight engineer aboard mission STS-128 to the International Space Station. During almost two weeks in orbit he operated the robotic arm and installed scientific modules. He became the first person to use the Spanish language inspace, with his tweet from orbit,“ Greetings to everyone from space! I’ m looking at Latin America and it’ s beautiful!” resonating in millions of Latino homes as a signal that dreams have no ceiling and no borders.
The legacy he left goes beyond the mission.“ José, a Latino astronaut, is one of many professionals from different backgrounds who have contributed to our mission of exploring the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all,” said Elaine Ho, NASA’ s diversity director in Washington.“ His story, which highlights the power of perseverance in reaching your dreams, is an inspiration to individuals of all backgrounds.”
After retiring from NASA in 2011, he founded his own engineering firm and a foundation to support young people from migrant communities. In 2023, Amazon Studios brought his life to the screen in A Million Miles Away, starring Michael Peña in the lead role. ●
In 2009, Hernández experienced his first spaceflight mission.