posted 03-07-2021 07:52 PM               

"A Million Miles Away" will chronicle the life of Hernández as he persevered through rejection to become a part of the Space Shuttle mission STS-128 in 2009.

"I was very attracted to José's story," Abella said. "It's an amazing dream achieved, in a very unlikely situation so I was drawn to try to tell this story right."

posted 07-18-2022 03:10 PM               

Filming is set to start in August and casting for his wife, Adela Hernández, and his parents is still underway.

“I think Michael Peña fits the bill, because he's kind of like me, in terms of normal looking. I mean he's a very talented actor, but I want the audience to sympathize with the character as the character struggles through 11 rejections to get selected as an astronaut," Hernández said. ...

The film was originally going to be produced by Netflix. Netflix gave the option to shelf the project for a few years or give up its rights and be free to shop it around, which is how it ended up in Amazon Prime being interested and picking up on the project, Hernández said.

posted 08-15-2023 03:00 PM               

'A Million Miles Away' trailer previews true-life story of astronaut José Hernández

"Who better to leave this planet and dive into the unknown than a migrant farm worker?"

Michael Peña, portraying real-life NASA astronaut José Hernández, asks and answers that question in the new movie "A Million Miles Away." Amazon released the first trailer for the film on Tuesday (Aug. 15), a month ahead of its debut on its Prime Video streaming service.

posted 09-05-2023 08:02 PM               

NASA Contributes to Film Detailing Life of Astronaut José Hernández

In collaboration with Amazon Studios, NASA is helping chronicle the life and career of retired NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez through an upcoming film. "A Million Miles Away," starring Michael Peña, tells the story of Hernandez' journey from migrant farmer to NASA space explorer.

For the film, NASA provided technical expertise, footage and imagery, and secured clearances for set designs, props, and costumes.

"Jose, a Latino astronaut, is one of many diverse professionals who have contributed to our work to explore the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all," said Elaine Ho, chief diversity officer at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "His story – one that underscores of the power of perseverance to achieve your dreams – is an inspiration to individuals of all backgrounds."

Seeking talent from every corner of America, and every walk of life, NASA has assembled a team of world-class experts who share a passion for exploration. Since 1980, the agency has selected more than a dozen Latino astronauts.

"Hispanic Heritage Month also begins in the coming weeks and films like this provide meaningful platforms to help tell stories like Hernandez's, while also fostering awareness of NASA's history and inspiring a new generation – the Artemis Generation," said Brian Odom, chief historian at NASA Headquarters.

posted 09-14-2023 12:00 AM               

The other astronauts in 'A Million Miles Away' react to the new film and its focus

They may not be the focus of "A Million Miles Away," but the astronauts who flew with the movie's subject are happy to see him celebrated on the big screen, just as they were glad to accompany him into space.

Set to begin streaming on Amazon Prime Video at 8:00 p.m. EDT tonight (0000 GMT Sept. 15), "A Million Miles Away" is based on José Hernández' real-life story, tracing his pursuit to become a NASA astronaut from his boyhood as a migrant farm worker to his time as an engineer at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory before ultimately achieving his dream. Though it only makes up a small, but important part of the film, Hernández (portrayed by Michael Peña) is shown interacting with his space shuttle Discovery crewmates with actors standing in for each.

posted 09-15-2023 02:25 PM               

Hernandez receives notice of his acceptance to the Astronaut Corps in the mail instead of a phone call as has always been the standard procedure.

They portray K.C. Chawla as his class training mentor and there is some interaction between the two. Chawla died in 2003, Hernandez was selected in 2004. (Hernandez was an engineer at JSC before becoming an astronaut, but the movie omits that, showing him moving from California to begin his astronaut training).

Rick Sturckow, played by Garret Dillahunt, is portrayed as somewhat the Chief Astronaut, although he isn't referred to as such. And during STS-128 he's referred to as "Captain Sturckow" when in fact he was a USMC Colonel.

Hernandez is told "most trainees don't make it" during astronaut candidate training, which of course isn't true. Only a handful of selectees haven't finished initial astronaut training in the entire history of the Astronaut Office (five to be exact).

There were some other minor details that were inaccurate. All the inaccuracies, however, would only be picked up by picky space enthusiasts like ourselves and be irrelevant to the general public whilst watching the movie (although I did provide a running corrective commentary to my wife ).

posted 09-17-2023 10:29 AM               

José Hernández on his 'Cape Crusader' cameo and more in 'A Million Miles Away'

José Hernández is humbled, but also loves "A Million Miles Away."

The new film from director Alejandra Márquez Abella stars Michael Peña as Hernández and is based on the former NASA astronaut's life story. Hernández is the first person to go from being a migrant farmworker to flying in space.

"Once I saw the finished product, I said, 'This is a good tool to motivate and empower a lot of people to believe in themselves.' Because that's what the movie does," said Hernandez in an interview with collectSPACE. "That's what Alejandra did so superbly when she made and directed this film."

"So I'm tickled that we have this film out now, because it's a really good way to motivate folks," he said.