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Matthew Dominick

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Matthew Dominick
NASA portrait, 2017
Born
Matthew Stuart Dominick

(1981-12-07) December 7, 1981 (age 42)
Wheat Ridge, Colorado, U.S.
EducationUniversity of San Diego (BS)
Naval Postgraduate School (MS)
Space career
NASA astronaut
RankCommander, USN
Time in space
235 days, 3 hours and 35 minutes
SelectionNASA Group 22 (2017)
MissionsSpaceX Crew-8 (Expedition 70/71/72)
Mission insignia

Matthew Stuart Dominick (born December 7, 1981) is an American test pilot and astronaut. As a pilot in the U.S. Navy, Dominick 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 recently on the ISS aboard the SpaceX Crew-8 mission,[1] which landed on October 25, 2024.[2]

Early life and education

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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

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After graduating from university, Dominick was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. 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 co-operative program, allowing him to earn a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and attend the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.[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

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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, Dominick 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

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Photographs by Matthew Dominick.

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

Photography is one of Dominick’s 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

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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

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  1. ^ "NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 - NASA". Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  2. ^ "Back on Earth: NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 Mission Splashes Down Off Florida". Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Garcia, Mark (February 7, 2018). "Astronaut Candidate Matthew Dominick". NASA. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  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 from the original on June 8, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  8. ^ "Space Station Assignments Out for NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 Mission". August 5, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  9. ^ Gabriel, Angeli (August 2, 2024). "Meet the NASA astronaut who peered into eye of hurricane from space". FOX Weather. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  10. ^ "NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick captures mesmerizing 'single lightning strike'". The Economic Times. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  11. ^ Growcoot, Matt (July 9, 2024). "A NASA Astronaut is Taking Beautiful and Creative Photos Onboard the ISS". PetaPixel. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
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