From Stockton, California to the Stars Above: The Story of José Hernández
No matter the obstacle on his path, José Hernández's "out-of-this-world" dream turned him into an inspiration for his San Joaquin County community and the nation.
One walk through the Children's Museum of Stockton, a specific spot within it is bound to catch your eye: the Destination: Space exhibit.
This spot of the museum is filled with amazing details and images from NASA's space explorations—and a central figure in San Joaquin County's connection to space. That figure is one of Stockton's own: astronaut José Hernández.
In 2001, José joined the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas and after 3 years, was selected for the NASA astronaut training program. After years of training, which included flight training, water & wilderness survival, shuttle launch & landing preparations, and spending days in an underwater laboratory, José was finally selected as a mission specialist on the STS-128 mission—a 14-day journey in orbit studying the physics & chemistry of microgravity. During this mission, José became the first person to use the Spanish language in space, which he did while tweeting.
BONUS: The film A Million Miles Away—the biopic on José's life—is now streaming on Amazon's Prime Video! In the film, José is portrayed by Academy Award nominee Michael Peña. Check out the trailer below!
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