Expedition 29 backup crew members Joseph Acaba, left, and Russian Flight Engineer Gennady Padalka share a few words during a press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Expedition 29 backup crew members NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba, far left, Russian Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, center, and Russian Flight Engineer Sergei Revin are seen at a press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

NASA Expedition 29 backup crew member Joseph Acaba speaks during the State Commission meeting to approve the Soyuz launch of Expedition 29 to the International Space Station, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The mission is set to launch November 14 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, bottom, NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin, top, wave farewell from the base of the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Tuesday, May 15, 2012. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Padalka, Revin, and Acaba is scheduled for 9:01 a.m. local time on Tuesday, May 15. Photo Credit (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 29 backup crew members NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba, far left, Russian Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, center, and Russian Flight Engineer Sergei Revin are seen the State Commission meeting to approve the Soyuz launch of Expedition 29 to the International Space Station in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Expedition 29 crew members NASA Flight Engineer Daniel Burbank, far left, Russian Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov, Russian Flight Engineer Anatoly Ivanishin, Expedition 29 NASA back up crew member Joseph Acaba, backup Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka and backup Flight Engineer Sergei Revin are seen at the start of a press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Expedition 29 crew members NASA Flight Engineer Daniel Burbank, far left, Russian Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov, Russian Flight Engineer Anatoly Ivanishin, Expedition 29 NASA back up crew member Joseph Acaba, backup Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka and backup Flight Engineer Sergei Revin, far right, pose for photos at the end of a press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

JSC2004-E-40629 (17 Aug. 2004) --- Astronaut Joseph M. (Joe) Acaba, mission specialist

HOUSTON, Texas -- JSC2004-E-40629: Joseph M. (Joe) Acaba, mission specialist on mission STS-119.

S119-E-006374 (17 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, exercises on the middeck of Space Shuttle Discovery.

S119-E-005007 (15 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, attired in his shuttle launch and entry suit, works on the flight deck of Space Shuttle Discovery during postlaunch activities.

S119-E-008173 (25 March 2009) --- Astronauts Richard Arnold (left) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, are pictured on the middeck of Space Shuttle Discovery during flight day 11 activities.

S119-E-006184 (16 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, looks over a procedures checklist on the middeck of Space Shuttle Discovery during flight day two activities.

S119-E-006697 (20 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba uses a computer on Discovery's aft flight deck during flight day six activity for the STS-119 crew.

S119-E-006187 (16 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, looks over a procedures checklist on the middeck of Space Shuttle Discovery during flight day two activities.

S119-E-006569 (18 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, uses a communication system on the aft flight deck of Space Shuttle Discovery while docked with the International Space Station.

S119-E-006380 (17 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, is pictured on the middeck of Space Shuttle Discovery during flight day three activities.

S119-E-006696 (20 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, uses the bicycle ergometer on Discovery's mid deck to get some exercise.

S119-E-006144 (16 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, works on the aft flight deck of Space Shuttle Discovery during flight day two activities.

S119-E-006601 (18 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, looks out an overhead window on the aft flight deck of Space Shuttle Discovery while docked with the International Space Station.

JSC2004-E-21455 (For Release 6 May 2004) --- Joseph M. (Joe) Acaba, one of three mission specialist - educator candidates in NASA's 2004 astronaut class.

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba answers questions at a behind-the-scenes NASA Social at NASA Headquarters on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 in Washington. Acaba launched to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft May 15, 2012, spending 123 days aboard as a flight engineer of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews. He recently returned to Earth on Sept. 17 after four months in low earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba answers questions at a behind-the-scenes NASA Social at NASA Headquarters on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 in Washington. Acaba launched to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft May 15, 2012, spending 123 days aboard as a flight engineer of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews. He recently returned to Earth on Sept. 17 after four months in low earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba answers questions at a behind-the-scenes NASA Social at NASA Headquarters on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 in Washington. Acaba launched to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft May 15, 2012, spending 123 days aboard as a flight engineer of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews. He recently returned to Earth on Sept. 17 after four months in low earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba answers questions at a NASA Social at NASA Headquarters on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 in Washington. Acaba launched to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft May 15, 2012, spending 123 days aboard as a flight engineer of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews. He recently returned to Earth on Sept. 17 after four months in low earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba answers questions at a behind-the-scenes NASA Social at NASA Headquarters on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 in Washington. Acaba launched to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft May 15, 2012, spending 123 days aboard as a flight engineer of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews. He recently returned to Earth on Sept. 17 after four months in low earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba speaks at a behind-the-scenes NASA Social at NASA Headquarters on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 in Washington. Acaba launched to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft May 15, 2012, spending 123 days aboard as a flight engineer of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews. He recently returned to Earth on Sept. 17 after four months in low earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba speaks at a behind-the-scenes NASA Social at NASA Headquarters on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 in Washington. Acaba launched to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft May 15, 2012, spending 123 days aboard as a flight engineer of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews. He recently returned to Earth on Sept. 17 after four months in low earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba speaks at a behind-the-scenes NASA Social at NASA Headquarters on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 in Washington. Acaba launched to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft May 15, 2012, spending 123 days aboard as a flight engineer of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews. He recently returned to Earth on Sept. 17 after four months in low earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba speaks at a behind-the-scenes NASA Social at NASA Headquarters on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 in Washington. Acaba launched to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft May 15, 2012, spending 123 days aboard as a flight engineer of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews. He recently returned to Earth on Sept. 17 after four months in low earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba answers questions at a behind-the-scenes NASA Social at NASA Headquarters on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 in Washington. Acaba launched to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft May 15, 2012, spending 123 days aboard as a flight engineer of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews. He recently returned to Earth on Sept. 17 after four months in low earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba, center, greets participants at a behind-the-scenes NASA Social in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 at NASA Headquarters. Acaba launched to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft May 15, 2012, spending 123 days aboard as a flight engineer of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews. He recently returned to Earth on Sept. 17 after four months in low earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

S119-E-006712 (20 March 2009) --- Astronaut Tony Antonelli (left), Discovery pilot, almost appears to be saying "I've got next" as he hovers over an exercising astronaut Joseph Acaba. The STS-119 mission specialist is working out on the bicycle ergometer which the crew earlier deployed on the floor of Discovery's middeck. While Acaba goes outside the International Space Station on March 21 to participate in a spacewalk, Antonelli will remain inside to contribute support, along with other astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut.

JSC2008-E-041623 (20 May 2008) --- Astronauts Joseph M. Acaba and Steven R. Swanson (partially visible at upper left corner), both STS-119 mission specialists, are about to be submerged in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near NASA's Johnson Space Center. Acaba and Swanson are attired in training versions of their Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuits. Divers are in the water to assist the crewmembers in their rehearsal, intended to help prepare them for work on the exterior of the International Space Station.

S119-E-006711 (20 March 2009) --- Astronaut Tony Antonelli (left), Discovery pilot, almost appears to be saying "I've got next" as he hovers over an exercising astronaut Joseph Acaba. The STS-119 mission specialist is working out on the bicycle ergometer which the crew earlier deployed on the floor of Discovery's middeck. While Acaba goes outside the International Space Station on March 21 to participate in a spacewalk, Antonelli will remain inside to contribute support, along with other astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut.

The Soyuz rocket is seen in the monitor of a video camera moments before Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Pedalka, NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin arrive to board the rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Tuesday, May 15, 2012. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Padalka, Revin, and Acaba is scheduled for 9:01 a.m. local time on Tuesday, May 15. Photo Credit (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

ISS018-E-042703 (23 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, attired in his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit, prepares for the mission's third session of extravehicular activity (EVA) in the Quest Airlock of the International Space Station while Space Shuttle Discovery remains docked with the station. Astronauts Tony Antonelli (bottom right, mostly out of frame), STS-119 pilot; and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency?s (JAXA) Koichi Wakata, Expedition 18 flight engineer, assist Acaba.

The Soyuz TMA-04M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 carrying Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

S119-E-006578 (18 March 2009) --- Astronauts Tony Antonelli (right), STS-119 pilot, and Joseph Acaba, mission specialist, look over a procedures checklist on the aft flight deck of Space Shuttle Discovery while docked with the International Space Station.

ISS018-E-042742 (23 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, attired in his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit, enters the Quest Airlock of the International Space Station as the mission?s third session of extravehicular activity (EVA) draws to a close.

ISS018-E-041142 (19 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba (right), STS-119 mission specialist, looks over a checklist while using a communication system on the flight deck of Space Shuttle Discovery while docked with the International Space Station.

ISS018-E-041141 (19 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba (right), STS-119 mission specialist, looks over a checklist on the flight deck of Space Shuttle Discovery while docked with the International Space Station. Astronaut Lee Archambault, commander, is at left.

The Soyuz TMA-04M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 carrying Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

ISS018-E-042748 (23 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, attired in his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit, enters the Quest Airlock of the International Space Station as the mission?s third session of extravehicular activity (EVA) draws to a close.

S119-E-010747 (26 March 2009) --- Astronauts Tony Antonelli (center), STS-119 pilot; Joseph Acaba, mission specialist; and Lee Archambault (back to camera), commander, are pictured on the aft flight deck of Space Shuttle Discovery during flight day 12 activities.

The Soyuz TMA-04M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 carrying Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Soyuz TMA-04M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 carrying Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

ISS018-E-041421 (21 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, attired in his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit, is pictured in the Quest Airlock of the International Space Station as the mission?s second session of extravehicular activity (EVA) draws to a close.

S119-E-006752 (20 March 2009) --- Astronauts Joseph Acaba and Steve Swanson, both mission specialists, are pictured near the robotic workstation in Destiny or the U.S. laboratory within 24 hours of their planned spacewalk, scheduled for March 21

ISS018-E-042705 (23 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, attired in his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit, is pictured in the Quest Airlock of the International Space Station as he prepares for the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA).

ISS018-E-041443 (21 March 2009) --- Attired in his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit, astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, is pictured in the Quest Airlock of the International Space Station as the mission's second session of extravehicular activity (EVA) draws to a close.

The Soyuz TMA-04M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 carrying Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

S119-E-006743 (20 March 2009) --- On the eve of a planned shared spacewalk, astronauts Steve Swanson (left) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, have a meeting in the Joint Airlock aboard the International Space Station, while linked to the Space Shuttle Discovery.

S119-E-006377 (17 March 2009) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, STS-119 mission specialist, works on the middeck of Space Shuttle Discovery during flight day three activities. Astronaut Joseph Acaba (partially out of frame), mission specialist, is at right.

The Soyuz TMA-04M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 carrying Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

S119-E-005027 (15 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, works the controls of Space Shuttle Discovery’s remote manipulator system (RMS) robotic arm on the aft flight deck during flight day one activities.

ISS018-E-041420 (21 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, attired in his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit, is pictured in the Quest Airlock of the International Space Station as the mission?s second session of extravehicular activity (EVA) draws to a close.

S119-E-006645 (19 March 2009) --- Astronauts John Phillips (left) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, work with the lithium hydroxide (LiOH) canisters beneath Space Shuttle Discovery's middeck while docked with the International Space Station.

S119-E-008447 (25 March 2009) --- Astronaut John Phillips (left) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, work with the lithium hydroxide (LiOH) canisters beneath Space Shuttle Discovery's middeck during flight day 11 activities.

S119-E-008479 (25 March 2009) --- Astronauts Joseph Acaba (left) and Richard Arnold (top), both STS-119 mission specialists; along with astronaut Tony Antonelli, pilot, are pictured on the middeck of Space Shuttle Discovery during flight day 11 activities.

The Soyuz TMA-04M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 carrying Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

S119-E-006379 (17 March 2009) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, STS-119 mission specialist, exercises on the middeck of Space Shuttle Discovery during flight day three activities. Astronaut Joseph Acaba, mission specialist, is at right.

S119-E-010754 (27 March 2009) --- Astronauts Joseph Acaba, left, and Richard Arnold, mission specialist, go over procedures check lists on the flight deck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Discovery on the spacecraft's final full day in space for STS-119.

S119-E-006563 (18 March 2009) --- Astronauts Richard Arnold (left) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, work with stowage containers in the Columbus laboratory of the International Space Station while Space Shuttle Discovery is docked with the station.

S119-E-008178 (25 March 2009) --- Astronauts Steve Swanson (bottom left), Richard Arnold and Joseph Acaba (right), all STS-119 mission specialists, are pictured on the middeck of Space Shuttle Discovery during flight day 11 activities.

S119-E-006694 (20 March 2009) --- Performing his own in-space version of "look, Ma, no hands" is astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist. The shuttle version of the bike, deployed here on Discovery's mid deck, is called the ergometer and is one device that provides astronauts a chance to exercise while in space.

ISS018-E-041348 (21 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, attired in his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit, waves as he prepares to leave the Quest Airlock of the International Space Station to begin the mission's second session of extravehicular activity (EVA).

S119-E-006207 (16 March 2009) --- Astronauts Tony Antonelli (right), STS-119 pilot, and Joseph Acaba, mission specialist, take a moment for a photo as they work controls on the aft flight deck of Space Shuttle Discovery during flight day two activities.

Vice President Mike Pence introduces NASA astronauts, from left, Jessica Meir, Joseph Acaba, Anne McClain, Matthew Dominick, and Jessica Watkins, during a meeting of the National Space Council inside the Apollo/Saturn V Center at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on Dec. 9, 2020. Meir, Acaba, McClain, Dominick, and Watkins are among the initial team of 18 astronauts eligible for early Artemis missions on and around the Moon. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024.

S119-E-007129 (23 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Acaba and Richard Arnold (out of frame), mission specialist, helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

S119-E-007274 (23 March 2009) --- Astronauts Richard Arnold (bottom) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, participate in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Arnold and Acaba helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

S119-E-007137 (23 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Acaba and Richard Arnold (out of frame), mission specialist, helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

S119-E-007298 (23 March 2009) --- Astronauts Richard Arnold (left) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, participate in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Arnold and Acaba helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

S119-E-007266 (23 March 2009) --- Astronauts Richard Arnold (bottom) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, participate in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Arnold and Acaba helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

S119-E-007270 (23 March 2009) --- Astronauts Richard Arnold (bottom) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, participate in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Arnold and Acaba helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

S119-E-007278 (23 March 2009) --- Astronauts Richard Arnold (right) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, participate in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Arnold and Acaba helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

ISS018-E-042502 (23 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Acaba and Richard Arnold (out of frame), mission specialist, helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

S119-E-007332 (23 March 2009) --- Astronauts Richard Arnold (right) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, participate in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Arnold and Acaba helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

ISS018-E-042538 (23 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Acaba and Richard Arnold (out of frame), mission specialist, helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-119 Mission Specialist Joseph Acaba takes a close look at part of the payload on the mission. Acaba and other crew members are at Kennedy for a Crew Equipment Interface Test that provides experience handling tools, equipment and hardware they will use on the mission. On the STS-119 mission, space shuttle Discovery will carry the S6 truss segment to complete the 361-foot-long backbone of the International Space Station. The truss includes the fourth pair of solar array wings and electronics that convert sunlight to power for the orbiting laboratory. Discovery is targeted for launch on Feb. 12, 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

S119-E-007134 (23 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Acaba and Richard Arnold (out of frame), mission specialist, helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

STS119-S-014 (15 March 2009) --- In the White Room on launch pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, attired in his shuttle launch and entry suit, dons his harness, which includes a parachute pack, before crawling through the open hatch into Space Shuttle Discovery. The White Room is at the end of the orbiter access arm on the fixed service structure and provides access into the shuttle. Members of the closeout crew assisted Acaba. Liftoff is scheduled for 7:43 p.m. (EDT) on March 15, 2009.

S119-E-007154 (23 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Acaba and Richard Arnold (out of frame), mission specialist, helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – – In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-119 Mission Specialist Joseph Acaba has a final fitting of his launch and entry suit. Acaba is making his first shuttle flight. The 14-day mission is the 28th to the International Space Station and the 125th space shuttle flight. Discovery will deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment. Installation of S6 will signal the station's readiness to house a six-member crew for conducting increased science. Liftoff of Discovery is scheduled for 9:20 p.m. EDT on March 11. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Vice President Mike Pence introduces NASA astronauts, from left, Jessica Meir, Joseph Acaba, Anne McClain, Matthew Dominick, and Jessica Watkins, during a meeting of the National Space Council inside the Apollo/Saturn V Center at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on Dec. 9, 2020. Meir, Acaba, McClain, Dominick, and Watkins are among the initial team of 18 astronauts eligible for early Artemis missions on and around the Moon. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024.

S119-E-007259 (23 March 2009) --- Astronauts Richard Arnold (left) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, participate in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Arnold and Acaba helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

S119-E-007311 (23 March 2009) --- Astronauts Richard Arnold (bottom) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, participate in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Arnold and Acaba helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

S119-E-007312 (23 March 2009) --- Astronauts Richard Arnold (bottom) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, participate in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Arnold and Acaba helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

S119-E-007128 (23 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Acaba and Richard Arnold (out of frame), mission specialist, helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

S119-E-007165 (23 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Acaba and Richard Arnold (out of frame), mission specialist, helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

S119-E-007123 (23 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Acaba and Richard Arnold (out of frame), mission specialist, helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

S119-E-007323 (23 March 2009) --- Astronauts Richard Arnold (right) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, participate in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Arnold and Acaba helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

S119-E-007110 (23 March 2009) --- Astronaut Joseph Acaba, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Acaba and Richard Arnold (out of frame), mission specialist, helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

S119-E-007302 (23 March 2009) --- Astronauts Richard Arnold (left) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, participate in the mission's third scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Arnold and Acaba helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, lubricated snares on the "B" end of the space station's robotic arm and performed a few "get ahead" tasks.

Date: 03-08-12 Location: Bldg 5, SSTF Subject: Expedition 32 (Soyuz 31) crew membesr Aki Hoshide, Sunita Williams and Joseph Acaba during JAXA's HTV sim, FE Rendezvous/Deployment in building 5's space station training facility with Robo instructor Melanie Miller. Photographer: James Blair

S119-E-006981 (22 March 2009) --- Astronauts Joseph Acaba (left) and Steve Swanson, both STS-119 mission specialists, work in the Quest Airlock of the International Space Station while Space Shuttle Discovery is docked with the station. Astronaut Richard Arnold (center background), mission specialist, photographs Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata (far background), Expedition 18 flight engineer, exercising in the Unity node.

Date: 03-08-12 Location: Bldg 5, SSTF Subject: Expedition 32 (Soyuz 31) crew membesr Aki Hoshide, Sunita Williams and Joseph Acaba during JAXA's HTV sim, FE Rendezvous/Deployment in building 5's space station training facility with Robo instructor Melanie Miller. Photographer: James Blair

S119-E-010711 (27 March 2009) --- From left, astronaut Lee Archambault, STS-119 commander, along with astronauts Joseph Acaba and John Phillips, both mission specialists, busy themselves with various chores on the aft deck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Discovery. The three, along with four other astronauts, are in the midst of their final full day in space before a scheduled return home on March 28.

Members of the media photograph the Soyuz TMA-04M rocket launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, May 15, 2012. Heading to the International Space Station onboard the soyuz are Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After arriving at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-119 Mission Specialist Joseph Acaba explains his role in the mission to media gathered for a question-and-answer session. The crew flew to Kennedy to take part in terminal countdown demonstration test activities, which include equipment familiarization and emergency exit training and culminate in a simulated launch countdown. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett