INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- An Inglewood native is headed to space to do a little construction.
Astronaut Joseph Acaba, who is set to blast off as early as Feb. 22, will be part of the team installing the final truss elements and solar arrays needed to complete the International Space Station.
Acaba, who also lived in the San Fernando Valley and Anaheim as a boy, will be in space for 15 days. His parents immigrated from Puerto Rico.
"My dad is my hero," Acaba said. "He came to the States with very little and worked hard to make sure we had what we needed."
When NASA selected the younger Acaba for space training in 2004, he became the first astronaut of Puerto Rican descent.
The former Marine spent two years working for the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic, training teachers about environmental issues, and has a special interest in education.
He and his NASA partner, Richard Arnold, started an educational Web site, complete with activity guides for K-12 teachers, located at www.nasa.gov/education/spacesuits.
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"As an educator, I think the most important thing for me is to fulfill the goal of inspiring the next generation," he said. "Motivating kids to learn is as important as the subject matter."
Inglewood Partners for Progress, a public-private group that includes the Forum, Hollywood Park Casino and other major businesses in the area, is putting together a proclamation to present to Acaba when he gets back.
