Reaching for the Stars

An immigrant chronicles his life's journey from the agricultural fields of California to orbiting the Earth aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.

Basis for the film A Million Miles Away starring Michael Peña.

Born into a family of migrant workers, toiling in the fields by the age of six, José M. Hernández dreamed of traveling through the night skies on a rocket ship. Reaching for the Stars is the inspiring story of how he realized that dream, becoming the first Mexican-American astronaut.

Hernández didn't speak English till he was twelve, and his peers often joined gangs, or skipped school. And yet, by his twenties he was part of an elite team helping develop technology for the early detection of breast cancer. He was turned down by NASA eleven times on his long journey to donning that famous orange space suit.

Hernández's message of hard work, education, perseverance, of “reaching for the stars,” makes this a classic American autobiography.

“With his trip to space, José showed us that there are no borders when it comes to realizing one's dreams.” —Ricky Martin