NASA Astronaut Joseph Acaba 8"x10" Full Colour Portrait

NASA astronaut Joseph Acaba

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected as a Mission Specialist by NASA in May 2004. In February 2006 he completed Astronaut Candidate Training that included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in Shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training. Upon completion of his training, Acaba was assigned to the Hardware Integration Team in the Space Station Branch working technical issues with European Space Agency (ESA) hardware.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-119 Discovery (March 15-28, 2009) was the 125th Shuttle flight, the 36th flight of Discovery and the 28th Shuttle flight to the International Space Station. The primary objective of this flight was to deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and truss element to the International Space Station. The mission also delivered and returned with an expedition crew member. Acaba accumulated 12 hours and 57 minutes of EVA in 2 spacewalks. STS-119 returned to land at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, having traveled 202 orbits and 5.3 million statute miles in 12 days 19 hours and 29 minutes.

APRIL 2009