Raja Chari

Raja Jon Vurputoor Chari
NASA Astronaut
Nationality	American
Status	Candidate
Born	Raja Jon Vurputoor Chari (1977-06-24) June 24, 1977 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Current occupation	Fighter pilot
Alma mater	United States Air Force Academy (B.S.) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.S.)
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel, USAF
Selection	NASA Group 22

Raja Jon Vurputoor Chari is a NASA astronaut candidate of the class of 2017.^[1][2] He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, MIT, and US Naval Test Pilot School. He was also a test pilot for the U.S. Air Force where he commanded the F-35 Lightning II developmental test squadron and served in combat in OIF flying the F-15E Strike Eagle.

Biography

Chari was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and raised in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He is married to Holly Schaffter Chari, also a Cedar Falls native, and the couple has three children.

Chari was selected by NASA to join the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class. He will report for duty in August 2017. The Iowa native graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1999 with bachelor's degrees in astronautical engineering and engineering science. He earned a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.

Education

Chari graduated from Columbus High School in Waterloo, Iowa. He then attended the U.S. Air Force Academy, graduating in 1999 with Bachelor’s degrees in Astronautical Engineering and Engineering Science. He also earned a Master’s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland. He also graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Experience

At the time of his selection in June 2017, Chari was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, serving as the Commander of the 461st Flight Test Squadron and the Director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force. Raja Chari is a NASA astronaut candidate of the class of 2017.[1][2] He's a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and MIT. He is also a former test pilot for the U.S. Navy and served in combat in Iraq.

NASA Experience

Chari will report for duty in August 2017 to begin two years of training as an Astronaut Candidate. Upon completion, he will be assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office while he awaits a flight assignment.

Awards/Honors

Awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal, an Iraq Campaign Medal, a Korean Defense Service Medal and the Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal. Named a distinguished graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Undergraduate Pilot Training, and the F-15E Formal Training Unit.

References