Travis family member may get chance to walk on the moon

  • Published
  • By Nick DeCicco
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Jose Hurtado Jr. knows a thing or two about exotic places. 

As an associate professor of geology at the University of Texas at El Paso, the son of a Travis employee has traversed the globe learning, studying and examining the Earth. 

Now, with any luck, Mr. Hurtado may get the opportunity to set foot in a place only a dozen others have gone - the moon. 

From Jan. 26 through 28, Mr. Hurtado visited Johnson Space Center in Houston for his first formal, in-person interview with NASA. The application process began in September 2007. Since that time, the number of potential space explorers has dwindled from around 4,000 to 110. 

"I'm a little nervous," Mr. Hurtado said on the eve of his in-person interview. "That's probably natural. I'm as ready as I'm going to be." 

The selection team already is trimming the field to 40 to 50 applicants for its next round of interviews. In May, the space organization will announce the names of a freshly minted crop of 10 to 15 astronauts. 

Aside from his father's continued presence at Travis, Mr. Hurtado has long-standing ties with the local community. His family moved to Fairfield in 1988, and he is a 1992 graduate of Vanden High School in Vacaville. His mom and dad still live in the area, with his father continuing employment at Travis as the vehicle operations dispatcher for the 60th Logistics Readiness Squadron. 

The elder Hurtado is "very proud" of his son's accomplishments. 

"Out of 4,000, to be in the running of 110 finalists is a humongous accomplishment," he said. "Since he was little, he had that love about atmospheres and stars." 

The younger Hurtado said he doesn't remember exactly when he became interested in being an astronaut, but has wanted to join the program for a long time. 

After leaving the Fairfield area, Mr. Hurtado went to California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, graduating with both a bachelor's and master's degree in 1996. Next, he received his doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

This is the second time he's tried to become an astronaut. He previously applied in 2003, but suspects he did not meet an eyesight requirement. He also said he thinks his experience and growth during his time at UTEP strengthened his application this time. 

His interview at the Johnson Space Center earlier this week consisted of body measurements, psychological examinations, robotics assessments, a tour of the facilities and more. 

Mr. Hurtado is optimistic his experience as a geologist will aid in his application's success. A number of would-be astronauts in this particular pool have backgrounds as educators, he said. 

He hopes his projects at UTEP will give him an advantage. Among them is work with unmanned aerial vehicles, a technology on the forefront of the Air Force's warfighting strategy. He also teaches remote sensing, digital image processing, geochemistry and fuel geology. 

The individuals selected to be astronauts will participate heavily in the first stages of Project Constellation, a space exploration effort launched in 2004 by former President George W. Bush. Its plans call for the first manned flight to the moon since 1972 with the long-term goal of mankind's first mission to Mars later this century. 

As to why he wants to become an astronaut, Mr. Hurtado said a good portion of it is pure curiosity and interest about space while another is exploration. 

"That can be scientific or not, but a lot of reason for going back to the moon is exploration," he said. "You can romanticize that and call it a lust for adventure or whatnot, but ... expanding the human experience is an important thing for us as a species. I want to be a part of that." 

Whether his application is successful, the elder Mr. Hurtado said he's proud of his son regardless. 

"Even if he doesn't get selected, I still think he's a winner," he said.