Migrant Worker Reaches for Stars, Becomes Astronaut

On a cool, crisp December evening in 1972, the Hernández family watched Gene Cernan walk on the moon on live television. Their youngest child, José, held rabbit ear antennas to provide a clearer picture on the family’s black and white TV. The 10-year-old was mesmerized by the fuzzy image he saw on the screen. 

“I remember telling myself this is what I want to be. I want to be an astronaut,” he says.

José Hernández did grow up to become a NASA astronaut and he’ll share his experience Saturday during a virtual conversation that’s part of the Museum of Native American History’s 5th annual Native American Cultural Celebration