José M. Hernández Biography: Wife, Age, Children, Net Worth, Height, Space Mission, Awards, Books

José Moreno Hernández is a Mexican‑American engineer and former NASA astronaut who first drew widespread attention during the Space Shuttle mission STS‑128 in August 2009, becoming the first person to send a live Spanish‑language tweet from orbit.

Born into a family of migrant farmworkers, his journey from the fields of California’s Central Valley to the Johnson Space Center speaks to both his technical prowess and determination.

Profile

• Full name: José Moreno Hernández
• Date of birth: August 7, 1962
• Age: 63 years old
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: French Camp, California, U.S.
• State of origin: California
• Nationality: Mexican‑American
• Profession: Engineer and former NASA astronaut
• Height: 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
• Eye color: Brown
• Hair color: Black
• Parents: Salvador Hernández and Julia Hernández
• Siblings: N/A
• Spouse: Adela Hernández
• Children: Julio A. Hernández, Karina Hernández, Vanessa Hernández, Yesenia (or Marisol) Hernández (sources vary), Antonio Hernández
• Relationship status: Married
• Religion: N/A
• Ethnicity: Mexican‑American
• Net worth: $7 million

Early Life and education

José Hernández, now 63, was born on August 7, 1962, in French Camp, California, though he considers Stockton, California, his hometown.

His parents, Salvador and Julia Hernández, migrated from Michoacán, Mexico, in the 1950s and worked as seasonal farmworkers along with their children.

Hernández did not learn English until he was 12, attending multiple schools while moving with his family along the California crop‑season circuit.

He graduated from Franklin High School in Stockton before becoming a first‑generation college student, earning a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of the Pacific in December 1984 (walked in May 1985) and an M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1986.

Personal Life

José Hernández met Adela García near Houston; after their marriage, she operated the Mexican restaurant Tierra Luna Grill just outside the Johnson Space Center gates. (Tierra Luna means “Earth Moon.”)

They have five children—Julio, Karina, Vanessa, Yesenia (sometimes known as Marisol), and Antonio—who watched their father balance farm work and academic pursuit before celebrating his selection as an astronaut.

The family owns a 20‑acre vineyard near Lodi, California, producing wine under the Tierra Luna Cellars label since 2021.

Career

After working from 1990 to 2001 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory—where he co‑developed the first full‑field digital mammography system— José Hernández joined NASA’s Johnson Space Center in 2001.

He endured eleven rejections before being selected in May 2004 as part of NASA Astronaut Group 19.

His training included Shuttle and ISS systems, T‑38 flight, and survival training. He participated in the NEEMO 12 mission in May 2007.

José served as mission specialist on STS‑128 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery from August 28 to September 11, 2009, logging nearly 14 days in orbit, and became the first person to tweet in Spanish from space.

He retired from NASA on January 14, 2011 and later served as a Regent of the University of California.

Awards

• Graduate Engineering Minority Fellow (GEM) (1985)
• Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Award, Outstanding Technical Contribution (1995)
• Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists Medalla de Oro (1999)
• U.S. Department of Energy Outstanding Performance Commendation (2000)
• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Outstanding Engineer Award (2001)
• Upward Bound National TRIO Achiever Award (2001)
• NASA Service Awards (2002, 2003)
• Eta Kappa Nu Electrical Engineering Honor Society; honorary LL.D., University of California, Santa Barbara (2006)
• Distinguished Alumnus, UC Santa Barbara (2015)
• United States Hispanic Leadership Institute National Hispanic Hero Award (2016)
• Medallion of Excellence, University of the Pacific (2019)

Net worth

José Hernández net worth is estimated at approximately $7 million.

Controversy

During his 2012 congressional run at President Obama’s urging, Hernández faced criticism over a 2010 IRS tax lien—which he paid in 2012—and was sued over the right to describe himself as an “astronaut” on the ballot.

He ultimately won the suit in Sacramento County Superior Court.

Social Media

• Instagram: @astrojosehernandez
• Twitter/X: @Astro_Jose

Filmography

• The Casagrandes episode “Rocket Plan” (2022) – voice role as himself
• A Million Miles Away (2023) – cameo appearance in the Michael Peña biopic about his life

Books

• Reaching for the Stars: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Farmworker Turned Astronaut
• From Farmworker to Astronaut: My Path to the Stars
• The Boy Who Touched the Stars / El niño que alcanzó las estrellas
• From Farmworker to Astronaut / De campesino a astronauta: My Path to the Stars / Mi viaje a las estrellas