Joseph M. "Joe" Acaba is an educator, hydrogeologist, and NASA astronaut. In May 2004 he became the first person of Puerto Rican heritage to be named as a NASA astronaut candidate when he was selected as a member of NASA Astronaut Training Group 19. Acaba served as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station, having launched on May 15, 2012. He arrived at the ISS on May 17 and returned to Earth on September 17, 2012.