Former Astronaut Launches Bid For Congress

A former NASA astronaut who grew up in a family of migrant farmers is returning to his California roots to run for Congress.

Jose Hernandez flew as a mission specialist aboard Discovery in 2009, launching on the 30th shuttle flight to the International Space Station and the 37th flight of NASA's fleet-leading orbiter. During a two-week mission, Hernandez and his crewmates hauled more than seven tons of of supplies and equipment to the station.

Among that gear: two science research racks, new crew quarters, a new air revitalization system, a new treadmill and a laboratory freezer.

After the mission, Hernandez served a stint with the legislative affairs branch at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., formulating space policy and briefing congressional lawmakers on NASA programs. He left NASA earlier this year to take a job in private industry.

Read more about his bid for Congress HERE.

ABOUT THE IMAGE: Click to enlarge the NASA image of STS-128 mission specialist Jose Hernandez in a launch-and-entry suit prior to heading out to the launch pad for a practice coundown at Kennedy Space Center. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.