Joseph M. Acaba

• STS- 119 (2009)
• Soyuz TMA- 04M (2012 )   ISS Expedition 31
• ISS Expedition 32

Joseph Michael "Joe" Acaba ( born May 17, 1967 in Inglewood, California) is an American astronaut.

Joe Acaba grew up in Anaheim, California. His parents were considered as young people from Puerto Rico to the United States. His father Ralph Acaba sparked his interest in the space, as he showed him an 8 mm film of the moon landing.

Training

In 1985, Acaba the Esperanza High School from Anaheim. In 1990, he received a Bachelor in Geology from the University of California. In 1992, he completed his university education with a Master in Geology from the University of Arizona. During his studies he joined the Reserve of the United States Marine Corps.

After Acaba had worked as a hydrogeologist in Los Angeles, he joined in 1994 at the Peace Corps. By 1996, he formed under this activity teacher in the Dominican Republic from. This experience led to the desire to become a teacher. She then worked as a manager of the Caribbean Marine Research Center on Lee Stocking Iceland in the Bahamas.

After his return to the United States Acaba moved to Florida. He worked there for about a year as a coordinator of a project for the resettlement of mangroves in Vero Beach. This activity involved the extensive work with various school groups. This was followed by a position as a teacher at Melbourne High School in Brevard County, Florida. After a year he moved to the also located in Florida Dunnellon Middle School, where he taught mathematics and natural sciences.

Astronauts activity

On 6 May 2004, the election Acabas as a candidate for the astronaut program at NASA was announced. He completed his training on February 10, 2006 and was now a so-called Educator Astronaut in the new 19 group of NASA astronauts. As a member of the Educator Astronaut Program NASA was to convey his task, teachers and students the attractiveness of the space, and so to inspire a new generation of researchers.

STS -119

In October 2007, he was assigned to the space mission STS -119. In this space shuttle mission, the last solar cell element of the ISS was launched into space. The launch took place on March 15, 2009. The STS -119 mission was on 28 March 2009 with the landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to a successful end.

Soyuz TMA- 04M

His second space flight occurred Acaba on 15 May 2012 with the Soyuz TMA- 04M. He worked as a Flight Engineer of ISS Expeditions 31 and 32, four months aboard the ISS. The return to Earth on 17 September 2012.

Private

Joseph Acaba has three children.