Will Take A Position In The Aerospace Industry

After a decade working in various roles, astronaut Jose Hernandez has left NASA for a position in the aerospace industry.

Jose Hernandez NASA Image

"Jose's talent and dedication have contributed greatly to the agency, and he is an inspiration to many," said Peggy Whitson, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "We wish him all the best with this new phase of his career."

The son of Mexican migrant farm workers, he joined NASA in 2001 as a materials research engineer at Johnson. He was promoted to the Materials and Processes Branch chief in 2002 and served there until he was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2004. In February 2006, he completed Astronaut Candidate Training that included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in Shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training. Hernandez was assigned to the Astronaut Office Shuttle Branch supporting Shuttle launch and landing preparations at Kennedy Space Center. He also trained as Mission Control Capsule Communicator. In 2010, he was on detail at NASA Headquarters’ Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental affairs.

Hernandez flew aboard Discovery on STS-128, the 30th mission to the International Space Station. While at the orbital outpost, the STS-128 crew rotated an expedition crewmember, attached the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), and transferred over 18,000 pounds of supplies and equipment to the station. The STS-128 crew conducted three spacewalks. The STS-128 mission was accomplished in 217 orbits of the Earth, traveling over 5.7 million miles in 332 hours and 53 minutes and returned to land at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

FMI: www.nasa.gov