From January 11-15, 2025, astronaut José Hernández, who comes from a family of Mexican immigrants, will perform in Spanish at 3:15 p.m. at “Astronaut Encounter” (included in the admission ticket).
Throughout his career, Hernández faced eleven rejections before being selected by NASA. Far from giving up, he persisted, and his tenacity finally paid off when he was assigned to make his first spaceflight on the STS-128 mission. During that time, he became a certified diver, earned his pilot’s license, and learned Russian to improve his skills. He traveled aboard the space shuttle Discovery that delivered and installed the Multipurpose Logistics Module (MPLM Leonardo) to study the physics and chemistry of microgravity. Finally, on August 29, 2009, his transformative journey took him to the International Space Station, where for 13 days he fulfilled his dream of looking down on Earth from space and contributing to scientific research.
He won numerous awards at NASA, and one of his most significant accomplishments was the development of the first full-field digital mammographic imaging system, which aids in the early detection of breast cancer.
Hernandez's life inspired the production of the film "A Million Miles Away," which chronicles his life from working as a fruit and vegetable harvester in California to his success as a NASA astronaut. His journey is an inspiring testament to determination, perseverance and overcoming adversity.
Following his presentation at Astronaut Encounter, there will be time for a question and answer session. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from him in person and hear his inspiring story.
NOTE: Astronaut Encounter presentations may be subject to change, so please check the daily schedule for exact times. There will also be a presentation in English.
Hernandez will also be at Chat With An Astronaut, where attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a group conversation with the astronaut and find out what it's really like to live and work in space, while enjoying a food and drink tasting. The English-language presentation will be held twice a day and is an additional cost to the admission price.
Source: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.