Joseph Michael Acaba

Joseph Michael "Joe" Acaba is an American educator, hydrogeologist, and NASA astronaut. In May 2004, he became the first person of Puerto Rican heritage named as a NASA astronaut candidate. Acaba has logged a total of 306 days in space on three missions (STS-119, Expedition 31/32, and Expedition 53/54) and completed three spacewalks. He served as chief of the astronaut office from 2023 through 2025 and subsequently transitioned to the center director’s staff at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where he provides technical advice on mission planning and strategy. He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps Reserves and formerly worked as a hydrogeologist and a teacher.