Space is big. Like, really big. But for a kid picking cucumbers in the fields of California, the moon might as well have been in another dimension. Most people who watched the movie A millones de kilómetros (A Million Miles Away) on Amazon Prime Video walked away feeling inspired by the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" narrative. It’s a great story. Honestly, though, the real-life journey of José Hernández is way more gritty and mathematically improbable than a two-hour biopic can actually capture.
When we talk about being a millones de kilómetros from your dreams, we usually mean it metaphorically. For Hernández, it was literal. He was a migrant farmworker who didn't even speak English until he was 12. Think about that for a second. Most of us struggle to learn a new language with apps and tutors; he did it while moving between Mexico and the San Joaquin Valley every few months.
The 11 Rejections Nobody Likes to Talk About
If you ask someone about NASA, they think of geniuses. They think of the "Right Stuff." What they don't think about is someone getting a thin envelope in the mail year after year.
José Hernández applied to the NASA astronaut program 11 times. He didn't just get lucky on the twelfth try. He basically "hacked" the selection process. After the first few rejections, he realized that being a smart engineer wasn't enough. NASA gets thousands of smart engineers. He looked at the people who actually got in and noticed a pattern. They were pilots. They were SCUBA certified. They spoke multiple languages.
So, what did he do? He became a pilot. He got his SCUBA certification. He learned Russian because, at the time, the International Space Station (ISS) relied heavily on the Soyuz craft. He transformed himself into the exact "product" NASA was looking for. This wasn't just persistence; it was a calculated, decade-long strategic pivot.
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The Science Behind the Journey: More Than Just "Hard Work"
While the film focuses on the emotional beats, the technical reality of getting a millones de kilómetros into space involves staggering physics. Hernández wasn't just a passenger; he was a Mission Specialist on STS-128. This mission, which launched on the Space Shuttle Discovery in 2009, was a logistical beast.
They weren't just "going to space." They were delivering the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. We're talking about tons of equipment, including the C.O.L.B.E.R.T. treadmill (yes, named after Stephen Colbert) and critical science racks. During his time at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory before NASA, Hernández actually co-developed the first full-field digital mammography imaging system. His brain wasn't just wired for grit; it was wired for complex signal processing.
Why the "Migrant Background" Was Actually a Superpower
There’s a misconception that his background was a hurdle he had to overcome. In reality, it was his training.
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- Adaptability: Moving schools every few months teaches you to read a room fast.
- Work Ethic: If you can handle twelve-hour days in 100-degree heat picking grapes, a 16-hour shift at Mission Control is just another Tuesday.
- Resourcefulness: Farmwork involves fixing things with what you have. Space is the same way.
The "Recipe" his father, Salvador Hernández, gave him is often cited: Define your goal, know how far you are, draw a roadmap, prepare yourself, and work hard. But people forget the unofficial sixth step: Don't ever think you've "arrived."
The Cultural Impact of a Millions-of-Kilometers Perspective
When the movie came out, it hit a nerve. Michael Peña’s portrayal brought a specific kind of "Mexican-American dad" energy to the screen that we rarely see in sci-fi or space dramas. But let's look at the numbers. Only a handful of Latinos have ever been to space. Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman. Franklin Chang-Díaz is a legend with seven flights.
Hernández’s story matters because it breaks the "exceptionalism" myth. He wasn't a child prodigy. He was a kid with a dream who was willing to be rejected for twelve years straight. That’s a different kind of hero. It’s not about being born special; it’s about being stubborn enough to outlast the system.
Interestingly, the title a millones de kilómetros refers to the vast distance between the soil of Michoacán and the stars. But when you’re in orbit, you realize that distance is an illusion. You’re only about 250 miles above the Earth. You can see the fields you used to work in from the window of the Shuttle. That perspective shift is what Hernández often talks about in his keynotes—the "Borderless Earth."
What the Movie Left Out (The Raw Reality)
Movies need villains and clean arcs. In real life, the "villain" was often just bureaucracy. There were times José felt like he was betraying his roots by spending so much time in the lab. There was the constant pressure of being "the first" or "the only" in the room.
And then there's the physical toll. Training for a mission isn't just sitting in a classroom. It’s the Neutral Buoyancy Lab—spending hours underwater in a pressurized suit that bruises your shoulders and exhausts your core. It’s the centrifugal force that makes your face feel like it’s melting.
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He didn't just "reach" the stars. He fought his way through atmosphere and gravity, both literal and societal.
Actionable Takeaways from the José Hernández Journey
If you're looking at your own goal and it feels like it's a millones de kilómetros away, stop looking at the distance. Start looking at the gaps in your "stats."
- Audit Your Rejections: Don't just get mad when you're told "no." Look at the "yes" group. What do they have that you don't? Is it a certification? A language? A specific type of experience? Go get it.
- The 5-Step Recipe is a Loop: It’s not a linear path. You define the goal, you work, you fail, and then you redefine your proximity to that goal.
- Leverage Your "Disadvantages": What parts of your background have given you a higher pain tolerance or better problem-solving skills than your peers? Those aren't weights; they're muscles.
- Diversify Your Skillset: Hernández didn't just stay a good engineer. He became a diver and a pilot. In 2026, being a "specialist" is dangerous. Being a "polymath" is how you become indispensable.
The story of José Hernández isn't a fairy tale. It's a blueprint for strategic persistence. Whether you're trying to break into a new industry or literally trying to leave the planet, the math stays the same: Preparation + Opportunity + An irrational refusal to quit.
Move forward by identifying the one technical skill you’re missing that would make you "un-ignorable" in your field. Then, start the 10-year plan to master it. If it took him twelve tries to get to space, you can probably handle a few more "no's" in your own career.