Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
katherine.trinidad@nasa.gov

Nicole Cloutier-Lemasters
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
nicole.cloutier-1@nasa.gov




MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-121

NASA ASTRONAUT STARTS AGENCY'S FIRST BILINGUAL TWITTER

MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-121
NASA ASTRONAUT STARTS AGENCY'S FIRST BILINGUAL TWITTER
HOUSTON -- NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez, set to fly aboard space
shuttle Discovery in August, is providing insights about his training
on Twitter in both English and Spanish. It will be the agency's first
bilingual Twitter.

Hernandez, who considers Stockton, Calif., his hometown, grew up in a
migrant farming family, travelling each year between Mexico and
California. He did not learn English until the age of 12.

Hernandez, whose Twitter account is astro_jose, can be followed at:






http://www.twitter.com/astro_jose


"I was inspired to pursue a dream to one day work in space while
listening to the radio news about space exploration while working in
the fields of northern California," Hernandez said. "I hope to spread
that excitement about space, science and engineering and inspire
others to follow their dreams by sharing my activities and
interacting with my followers on Twitter."

Selected as an astronaut by NASA in May 2004, Hernandez will make his
first spaceflight on the STS-128 shuttle mission that will continue
assembly of the International Space Station. During the mission, he
will oversee the transfer of supplies and equipment between the
shuttle and station, assist with robotics operations and serve as a
flight engineer in the shuttle cockpit during launch and landing. It
will be the first shuttle mission to feature two Latino astronauts.
Danny Olivas, who also is of Mexican descent, is among Hernandez's
six crewmates.

For Hernandez's complete biography, visit:



http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/hernandez-jm.html


For more information about the STS-128 mission, visit:






For more information about the International Space Station, visit:



http://www.nasa.gov/station


For a list of NASA missions providing updates on social media Web
sites, visit: