Hernández was born in 1962. He was born near Stockton, California. His parents were migrant farmers. Each February, his family drove from Mexico to California. They moved from farm to farm, following California’s harvest.

    When Hernández wasn’t at school, he worked in the fields too. Every November, the family went back to Mexico. Hernández switched schools three times a year. This made it hard to learn English. But math was easy for him. “1 + 3 = 4 is the same in Spanish and English,” he says.

    When Hernández was in second grade, his teacher spoke with his parents. She had taught most of their kids. The kids were bright. But she worried that moving around so much was affecting their learning.

    Neither of Hernández’s parents had stayed in school past third grade. They hoped their kids would someday go to college. So they decided to stay in Stockton year-round.

    It would be hard to find work in the winter. But it would help their kids.

    Hernández was born in 1962 near Stockton, California. His parents worked as migrant farmers. Each February, his family drove from Mexico to California and then traveled from farm to farm, following California’s harvest.

    When Hernández wasn’t at school, he helped his parents in the fields. Every November, the family returned to Mexico. Moving around so much meant Hernández switched schools three times a year, which made learning English difficult. But numbers came easily to him. “1 + 3 = 4 is the same in Spanish and English,” he explains.

    When Hernández was in second grade, his teacher visited his parents. She had taught most of their children and knew they were bright and well-loved, but she worried that moving around so often was affecting their learning.

    Hernández’s parents, who hadn’t stayed in school beyond third grade, hoped their kids would someday go to college. To improve the kids’ chances for a good education, they decided to remain in Stockton year-round.

    They knew it would be difficult to find work in the winter, but they dreamed of a better future for their children.

    Before long, Hernández was doing well in all his subjects. But he still loved numbers most of all. And every week, he watched his favorite show, Star Trek. In it, a brave crew explores the universe on their starship.

    Star Trek wasn’t real. But space travel was. NASA—the U.S. government’s space research organization—had finally sent someone to space in 1961. (That was about a year before Hernández was born.)

    One day, at age 10, Hernández watched astronauts on TV. As they hopped along the surface of the moon, he called out to his dad. 

    “Hey, Pops!” he said. “I want to be an astronaut!”

    His dad looked surprised. Then he smiled. 

    “You can do this!” he said. He told his son to study and always give his all. Hernández never forgot that advice.

    Soon Hernández was doing well in all his subjects. But he still loved math the most. And every week, he watched his favorite show, Star Trek. In it, a brave crew explores the universe on their starship.

    Star Trek wasn’t real. But space travel was. NASA, the U.S. government’s space research agency, had sent someone to space in 1961.

    When Hernández was 10, he saw astronauts on TV. They were walking on the moon. He called out to his dad.

    “Hey, Pops!” he said. “I want to be an astronaut!”

    His dad looked surprised. Then he smiled.

    “You can do this!” he said. He told his son to study and always give his all. Hernández never forgot that advice.

    Hernández was soon doing well in all his subjects, but he still loved numbers most of all. And every week, he watched his favorite television show: Star Trek, in which a brave crew explores the universe on their starship.

    Star Trek wasn’t real, but space travel was. NASA, the U.S. government’s space research organization, had finally sent someone to space in 1961—the year before Hernández was born.

    One day, at age 10, Hernández watched astronauts on television. As they hopped along the surface of the moon, he called out to his dad.

    “Hey, Pops!” he said. “I want to be an astronaut!”

    His father looked surprised and then smiled.

    “You can do this!” he said. He told his son to study and always give his all. Hernández never forgot that advice.

    Hernández worked hard in high school. Then he went to college. Like many astronauts, he studied engineering.

    The classes were hard. He sometimes felt like giving up. But then he imagined how it would feel to not become an astronaut.

    That kept him going.

    By 1992, Hernández was working in a lab. He applied to become an astronaut. NASA rejected him.

    He applied the next year. And the next.

    Each time, he got bad news.

    After he was turned down a sixth time, he thought about giving up.

    Hernández worked hard in high school and then headed off to college. Like many astronauts, he studied engineering.

    The math and science classes were challenging, but Hernández had a trick that helped him when he felt like giving up: He imagined how it would feel to not become an astronaut.

    That kept him going.

    By 1992, Hernández was working in a laboratory. Feeling ready, he applied to become an astronaut—but NASA rejected him.

    Although the rejection stung, Hernández reapplied the following year and the one after that.

    Each time, he got bad news.

    When he received his sixth rejection letter, Hernández crumpled it up. “Maybe I should move on with my life,” he thought.

    Yet Hernández’s family pushed him to keep going. He studied the astronauts that NASA did pick. What did they have that he didn’t?

    Many knew how to fly airplanes. So Hernández became a pilot. NASA worked closely with Russian astronauts. Hernández learned to speak Russian. 

    Still, NASA usually had only 10 to 15 astronaut spots to fill. More than 12,000 people competed for them. In 2001, NASA hired Hernández as an engineer. But year after year, he was not picked to be an astronaut. 

    In 2004, Hernández was 41. He applied for the 12th time. That April, his phone rang. A friendly voice said, “I would like to welcome you to the astronaut corps.” He was in!

    For more than two years, Hernández trained with the other new astronauts. But he didn’t get to travel to space until August 2009. That’s when he became part of the Discovery crew.

    Hernández kept trying. He studied the astronauts that were picked. How could he be more like them?

    Many could fly planes. So he became a pilot. NASA worked with Russian astronauts. So he learned to speak Russian.

    Still, NASA usually had only 10 to 15 astronaut spots to fill. More than 12,000 people wanted one. In 2001, NASA hired Hernández as an engineer. But he still wanted to be an astronaut.

    In 2004, Hernández was 41. He applied again. It was the 12th time. His phone rang. A voice said, “I would like to welcome you to the astronaut corps.” He was in!

    For more than two years, he trained to be an astronaut. Then, in 2009, he joined the Discovery crew. He was going to space.

    Hernandez’s family encouraged him to keep trying. He studied the astronauts that NASA accepted, looking for qualities they had that he didn’t.

    Many could fly planes, so Hernández became a pilot. NASA worked closely with Russian astronauts, so Hernández learned to speak Russian.

    Still, NASA usually had only 10 to 15 astronaut spots to fill and more than 12,000 people competing for them. In 2001, NASA hired Hernández as an engineer—but year after year, he wasn’t chosen to be an astronaut.

    In 2004, at age 41, Hernández applied for the 12th time. That April, his phone rang. A friendly voice said, “I would like to welcome you to the astronaut corps.” He was in!

    Hernández trained with the other new astronauts for more than two years, but he didn’t get to travel to space until he became part of the Discovery crew in August 2009.

    On board Discovery, Hernández floated over to a window. The view of Earth astounded him. It looked like a marble. He had reached the stars.

    On September 11, 2009, Discovery returned to Earth. It touched down in California. Hernández had traveled millions of miles. And he landed near where he worked the fields as a boy.

    Today, Hernández lives in California. He hopes his story inspires kids to reach for the stars. “It’s OK to dream big,” he says, “as long as you’re willing to put in the work.”

    About an hour after Discovery launched, Hernández floated over to a window. The view of Earth, like a distant marble, astounded him. It was incredible to realize that after his long journey, he had finally reached the stars.

    Discovery returned to Earth on September 11, 2009, touching down in California. Hernández had traveled 5.7 million miles—and he landed not far from where he worked the fields as a boy.

    Today, Hernández lives in California. He hopes his story inspires kids to reach for the stars. “It’s OK to dream big,” he says, “as long as you’re willing to put in the work.”