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Joseph M. Acaba: The educator astronaut inspiring future explorers
Have you ever felt that the sky isn't the limit, but just the beginning? For a little boy named Joe, that feeling became a reality. Joseph Acaba grew up to be not only a passionate educator, but also the first astronaut of Puerto Rican heritage.
Joseph M. Acaba: The educator astronaut inspiring future explorers
Have you ever felt that the sky isn't the limit, but just the beginning? For a little boy named Joe, that feeling became a reality. Joseph Acaba grew up to be not only a passionate educator, but also the first astronaut of Puerto Rican heritage.
At Reliant, we believe that education and curiosity are the engines that drive innovation. We are committed to serving our customers and providing them with innovative energy solutions, which is why we celebrate the contributions and spirit of service of pioneers like Joseph Acaba.
In the mid-1960s, Joe's parents, Ralph and Elsie, moved from Hatillo, Puerto Rico, to Inglewood, California, where Joe was born in 1967. As a child, his favorite subjects were science and math, and he enjoyed reading science fiction stories. Joe's curiosity about space exploration began after watching a film about Neil Armstrong's moon landing.
During his senior year of high school, he started scuba diving and earned his certification. This experience sparked his interest in marine geology. In 1990, he earned his bachelor's degree in geology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, followed by a master's degree from the University of Arizona in 1992.
Before putting on a spacesuit, Joe inspired students in the classrooms of Florida as a science and math teacher. His journey as an educator began in the U.S. Peace Corps, where he spent 2 years training teachers in the Dominican Republic in modern educational methodologies. Upon returning to the United States, he taught at several middle and high schools.
In 2015, after several years as an astronaut, he earned his master's degree in curriculum development and instruction from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas—a city where Reliant is proud to serve its customers and sponsor the university's athletics program. Teaching became the foundation for everything in Joe’s life. In the classroom and in space, the goal was always to solve problems and work as part of a team.
Joe has completed over 300 days in space and played critical roles in several NASA missions. In 2004, he was selected by NASA to become an astronaut from nearly 100 applicants, becoming the first Hispanic educator in the program. In 2006, he completed his astronaut training alongside 11 other candidates and became one of three "educator astronauts." Educator astronauts are teachers who meet all the standard requirements and perform the typical duties of astronauts, while also taking on the additional responsibility of serving as an educational liaison to the community.
His first mission was STS-119 in 2009 aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. The mission's purpose was to deliver the solar arrays that would provide sustainable energy to the International Space Station. During this mission, he also conducted 2 spacewalks totaling 12 hours and 57 minutes. A fun fact from this mission: Joe brought a Puerto Rican flag with him, which can be seen in mission photos, and one morning, he requested Puerto Rican plena music to wake up his fellow astronauts.
For his next mission, in 2012, he traveled to the International Space Station on Soyuz TMA-04M and stayed for 124 days. In 2017, he repeated the feat with Soyuz MS-06, spending 168 days in orbit. During this mission, he performed another spacewalk to replace the station's external cameras and launched the Educator Astronaut Project. This project aims to both elevate the teaching profession and inspire students through a series of demonstrations, videos and educational talks about science, technology, engineering, math and space exploration.
In 2020, Joe was selected to be part of a team of 18 astronauts eligible to fly in the Artemis program, which aims to return American astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972. The program has a mission scheduled for 2026 that is expected to land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon.
In 2023, he was the first person of Hispanic heritage to be appointed chief of the NASA Astronaut Office. As the head of all active NASA astronauts, Joe managed astronaut assignments to space missions. He held this position until November 2025. His leadership ensured that diversity and excellence remain at the core of American space exploration.
Joe embodies a spirit of perseverance and service. His story reminds us that effort and preparation allow us to reach new frontiers. From teacher to astronaut, his journey teaches us that education opens doors to unimaginable worlds — and perhaps very soon, we might see the first Boricua on the Moon.
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