Raja Chari

Test Pilot, Astronaut

American Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.

Quick Info

ProfessionTest Pilot, Astronaut
NationalityAmerican
Date of Birth24/06/1977
Age48 years
BirthplaceMilwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.

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Bio/Wiki

Full NameRaja Jon Vurputoor Chari
NicknameGrinder

Physical Stats & More

Height178 cm
Weight75 kg
Eye ColorBlack
Hair ColorBlack

Educational Qualification(s)

Bachelor's DegreeBachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering and Engineering Science from United States Air Force Academy
Master's DegreeMaster of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Personal Life

SchoolColumbus High School, Waterloo, Iowa, U.S. (1995)
College/University
  • United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado (1999)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts (2001)

Relationships & More

Marital StatusMarried
Family
WifeHolly Schaffter Chari
ChildrenHe has three children.
Parents
FatherSreenivas V Chari (Engineer)
MotherPeggy (American nurse and teacher)
SiblingsBrother - Krishna Chari (Younger)

Career

Medals
  • Defense Meritorious Service Medal
  • Aerial Achievement Medal
  • Air Force Commendation Medal
  • Air Force Achievement Medal
  • Iraq Campaign Medal
  • Korean Defense Service Medal
  • Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
Timeline
  • Joined Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, Pacific Air Forces in November 2003
  • Attended F-15E Strike Eagle training at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina
  • Joined 494FS, RAF Lakenheath, England, UK as F-15E IP in 2006
  • Completed training at the US Naval Test Pilot School in 2007
  • Worked as F-15 Experimental Test Pilot at Eglin AFB in December 2008
  • Became USAF SAF/RCO Program Manager in 2012
  • Appointed as 461st Flight Test Squadron Commander/F-35 Integrated Test Force Director in June 2015
  • Joined NASA as an astronaut in June 2017
  • Worked as Joint Test Team Director at Commercial Crew Program in 2019
  • Designated as SpaceX Crew3 Mission Commander in 2020 and became part of Artemis Team for the lunar mission in 2024
  • Served as commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station, launched on 10/11/2021
  • Spent 177 days in orbit as flight engineer for Expedition 66 and 67, performing two spacewalks and handling spacecraft operations, returned to Earth on 06/05/2022
  • Following spaceflight, became Assistant to the Chief for Exploration at NASA’s Johnson Space Center
  • Promoted to Brigadier General in the United States Air Force
  • Serves as Active Astronaut, Assistant to the Chief for Artemis Human Landing System and Senior Department of Defense Astronaut at NASA Johnson Space Center

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Ancestors trace origins to Telangana, India.
2. Raised in Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa, U.S.
3. Long-standing interest in aircraft since youth.
4. Enrolled in the Air Force Academy with aspirations to be a test pilot and then an astronaut.
5. Father practices Hinduism while mother is Catholic.
6. Supportive wife named Holly contributed to his successful career.
7. Extensive background in both the Air Force and NASA.
8. First NASA rookie to command a spaceflight since Joe Engle in 1981.
9. Logged over 7,000 flying hours in various spacecraft and aircraft.
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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