José Moreno Hernández is an American engineer and former NASA astronaut, currently serving as Regent of the University of California. Born on August 7, 1962, he is known for his remarkable career and for his attempt to enter politics.

Hernandez grew up in French Camp, California, but considers Stockton, California, his hometown. His family originates in La Piedad, Michoacán, Mexico. During his childhood, Hernández worked as a harvester of seasonal crops alongside his family and other agricultural workers, moving from town to town. His education was spotty, and he only learned to speak English at the age of 12. His first contact with space occurred when he set the television to watch the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

José Hernández participated in the Upward Bound program during high school, a federal program that prepares students for college. He graduated from Franklin High School in Stockton and, while in college, participated in the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program, which prepares students from disadvantaged backgrounds to earn degrees in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) fields.

He earned his bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of the Pacific in 1984 and in 1986 completed a master's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Hernández worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory from 1990 to 2004, where he developed, along with a commercial colleague, the first full-field digital mammography imaging system, contributing to the early detection of breast cancer. In 2001, he joined the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

After 11 unsuccessful attempts to enter NASA’s astronaut training program, Hernández was selected in May 2004. He completed astronaut candidate training in February 2006, including technical training, training in space shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and jungle survival training. Upon completion, Hernández was assigned to the Space Shuttle’s launch and landing preparation team.

In May 2007, Hernández served as an aquanaut on the NEEMO 12 mission aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory, where he lived and worked underwater for eleven days.

José Hernández was selected as a mission specialist for the STS-128 mission, launched in August 2009. During his mission, he became the first person to use the Spanish language in space while tweeting.

After his career at NASA, Hernández entered politics. In 2011, at the request of President Barack Obama, he ran for Congress as a Democrat in California’s 10th congressional district but lost the general election in 2012. He also considered future applications in subsequent years.

In addition to his political career, Hernández is a businessman and owns a 20-acre vineyard in Lodi, California, that produces wines under the Tierra Luna Cellars label. He is married to Adela and has five children. Hernández also served on the board of directors of the nonprofit humanitarian agency SpaceUnited.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_M._Hern%C3%A1ndez#cite_note-35