Joseph M. Acaba
Joseph Michael Acaba is an American educator, hydrogeologist, former Peace Corps volunteer, and NASA astronaut. His career connects classroom science education with shuttle assembly work and long-duration International operations.
- Born
- May 17, 1967
- Died
- N/A
- Birthplace
- Inglewood, California,United States
Flights
3
Spacewalks
3
EVA time
19 hours, 46 minutes
In space
306 days
Bio
Acaba studied geology and education before teaching science and mathematics. NASA selected him with Astronaut Group 19 in 2004, making him the first person of Puerto Rican heritage selected as a NASA astronaut candidate.
His first spaceflight was STS-119, the shuttle mission that delivered the final pair of International Space Station solar-array wings. He then flew two Soyuz-based station missions, serving on 31/32 and Expeditions 53/54.
Across those flights, Acaba worked as a , , educator-astronaut representative, and station crew member. His record includes ISS assembly, science operations, visiting-vehicle support, and multiple .
He later served as Chief of the Astronaut Office from 2023 to 2025, making his career important not only as a flown astronaut but also as a leader of the modern NASA astronaut corps.