Matthew Dominick
NASA astronaut
Birth nameMatthew Stuart Dominick
Birth dateDecember 7, 1981 (age 44)
Birth placeWheat Ridge, Colorado, U.S.
EducationUniversity of San Diego (BS)
Naval Postgraduate School (MS)
RankCommander, US Navy
Time235 days, 3 hours, 35 minutes
SelectionNASA Group 22 (2017)
MissionsSpaceX Crew-8 (Expedition 70/71/72)

Matthew Stuart Dominick (born December 7, 1981) is an American test pilot and NASA astronaut. As a pilot in the United States Navy (USN), he has more than 1,600 hours of flight time in 28 aircraft, 400 carrier-arrested landings, 61 combat missions, and almost 200 flight test carrier landings. He was on the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Crew-8 mission[1] from March to October 2024.[2]

Early life and education

Dominick was born on December 7, 1981, in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. After attending D'Evelyn Junior/Senior High School in Littleton, Colorado, he graduated from the University of San Diego in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering with minors in physics and mathematics. As a student, he was a member of the Navy ROTC and the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.[3][4]

Military career

After graduating from university, Dominick was commissioned as an Ensign in the USN. He attended Primary Flight Training at NAS Pensacola and was designated a Naval Aviator in 2007. He completed F/A-18 Super Hornet training with VFA-106 at NAS Oceana, before being assigned to VFA-143. With VFA-143, Dominick completed two deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom before being selected to attend the United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) / Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) co-operative program, allowing him to earn a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from the NPS and attend the USNTPS.[3]

Following graduation from USNTPS, Dominick was designated a test pilot and was assigned to VX-23, based out of NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. There, he served as a developmental flight test project officer on numerous programs, including MAGIC CARPET, Joint Precision Approach & Landing Systems and Infrared Search and Track Pod. Dominick also contributed to the development of the X-47B, V-22 Osprey, E-2C Hawkeye, and F-35C Lightning II. At the time of his selection as an astronaut, Dominick was serving as Department Head with VFA-115, based out of Atsugi, Japan.[3]

His promotion to Navy commander was approved on June 27, 2019 and made effective on September 1, 2020.[5]

NASA career

In June 2017, Dominick was selected as a member of NASA Astronaut Group 22 and began his two-year training. At the time of his selection, he was at sea on the USS Ronald Reagan.[3][6][7] He was the commander of the SpaceX Crew-8 mission to the ISS.[8]

Personal life

Dominick and his wife, Faith, have two daughters.[3]

Photography is one of his hobbies. During his time on the ISS, his images of weather phenomena, storms, spacecraft, and his creative ways of capturing everyday life on the station garnered media attention.[9][10][11]

Awards and honors

Dominick was the 2015 Naval Test Wing Atlantic Test Pilot of the Year and a Member of the 2015 Department of the Navy Test Team of the Year. He has received three Strike/Flight Air Medals, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals. He is a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Society of Flight Test Engineers, and the Tailhook Association.[3]

References

  1. ^ "NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 – NASA". Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  2. ^ "Back on Earth: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Mission Splashes Down Off Florida". Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  3. ^ Garcia, Mark (February 7, 2018). "Astronaut Candidate Matthew Dominick". NASA. Archived 2017-07-01 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ^ "Matthew Stuart Dominick". Biographies of U.S. Astronauts. Spacefacts. April 18, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  5. ^ "Active Duty Promotions to the Permanent Grades of Captain, Commander, Lieutenant Commander, Lieutenant and Chief Warrant Officers in the Line and Staff Corps". U.S. Navy. August 20, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  6. ^ Harwood, William (June 7, 2017). "NASA introduces 12 new astronauts". CBS News. CBS Broadcasting. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  7. ^ Dobrin, Isabel (June 8, 2017). ""It's incredibly humbling": Two NASA astronaut candidates with local ties are over the moon". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived June 8, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  8. ^ "Space Station Assignments Out for NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 Mission". 5 August 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  9. ^ Gabriel, Angeli (2024-08-02). "Meet the NASA astronaut who peered into eye of hurricane from space". FOX Weather. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  10. ^ "NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick captures mesmerizing 'single lightning strike'". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  11. ^ Growcoot, Matt (July 9, 2024). "A NASA Astronaut is Taking Beautiful and Creative Photos Onboard the ISS". PetaPixel. Retrieved August 23, 2024.