{"id":88105,"date":"2020-06-04T17:26:27","date_gmt":"2020-06-04T21:26:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-461648"},"modified":"2023-08-01T18:08:33","modified_gmt":"2023-08-01T22:08:33","slug":"raja-chari","status":"publish","type":"people","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/people\/raja-chari\/","title":{"rendered":"Raja Chari"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-bio-intro maxw-full width-full padding-y-6 padding-x-3 hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-bio-intro\">\n\t<div class=\"hds-bio-intro-container grid-row grid-container grid-container-block padding-0\">\n\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-4 desktop:grid-col-3\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-bio-thumbnail width-10 tablet:width-card desktop:width-card-lg\">\n\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jsc2017e114853_0.jpg?w=640\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large\" alt=\"Raja Chari\" style=\"transform: scale(1.1); transform-origin: 48% 9%; object-position: 48% 9%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jsc2017e114853_0.jpg 4800w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jsc2017e114853_0.jpg?resize=240,300 240w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jsc2017e114853_0.jpg?resize=768,960 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jsc2017e114853_0.jpg?resize=819,1024 819w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jsc2017e114853_0.jpg?resize=1229,1536 1229w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jsc2017e114853_0.jpg?resize=1638,2048 1638w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jsc2017e114853_0.jpg?resize=320,400 320w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jsc2017e114853_0.jpg?resize=480,600 480w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jsc2017e114853_0.jpg?resize=720,900 720w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jsc2017e114853_0.jpg?resize=960,1200 960w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jsc2017e114853_0.jpg?resize=1600,2000 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-7 desktop:grid-col-9 grid-row margin-0 padding-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-8 margin-bottom-2 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1 desktop:margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"display-60 display-block width-full\">Raja Chari<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p-lg padding-0 margin-0 color-carbon-60\">NASA Astronaut and U.S. Air Force Colonel<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"heading-18\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFollow Raja\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"social-icons social-icons-monochrome\"><li class=\"social-icon social-icon-twitter social-icon-x\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Astro_Raja\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Follow Raja on X.\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"1200\" height=\"1227\" viewBox=\"0 0 1200 1227\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M714.163 519.284L1160.89 0H1055.03L667.137 450.887L357.328 0H0L468.492 681.821L0 1226.37H105.866L515.491 750.218L842.672 1226.37H1200L714.137 519.284H714.163ZM569.165 687.828L521.697 619.934L144.011 79.6944H306.615L611.412 515.685L658.88 583.579L1055.08 1150.3H892.476L569.165 687.854V687.828Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li><li class=\"social-icon social-icon-facebook\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/astrorajachari\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Follow Raja on Facebook.\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M9 8h-3v4h3v12h5v-12h3.642l.358-4h-4v-1.667c0-.955.192-1.333 1.115-1.333h2.885v-5h-3.808c-3.596 0-5.192 1.583-5.192 4.615v3.385z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li><li class=\"social-icon social-icon-instagram\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/astro_raja\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Follow Raja on Instagram.\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg enable-background=\"new 0 0 20 20\" height=\"512\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 20\" width=\"512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><g><path d=\"m15 0h-10c-2.8 0-5 2.2-5 5v10c0 2.8 2.2 5 5 5h10c2.8 0 5-2.2 5-5v-10c0-2.8-2.2-5-5-5zm3 15c0 1.7-1.3 3-3 3h-10c-1.7 0-3-1.3-3-3v-10c0-1.7 1.3-3 3-3h10c1.7 0 3 1.3 3 3z\"\/><path d=\"m10 5c-2.8 0-5 2.2-5 5s2.2 5 5 5 5-2.2 5-5-2.2-5-5-5zm0 8c-1.7 0-3-1.3-3-3s1.3-3 3-3 3 1.3 3 3-1.3 3-3 3z\"\/><circle cx=\"15\" cy=\"5\" r=\"1\"\/><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Raja Chari was selected by NASA to join the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class.  He reported for duty in August 2017. The Iowa native graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1999 with a bachelor\u2019s degrees in Astronautical Engineering and Engineering Science.  He continued on to earn a master\u2019s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. He served as commander of the NASA SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the ISS, which launched on November 10, 2021.  He served on the International Space Station as part of Expedition 66 and 67 before returning to Earth May 6, 2022, completing the agency\u2019s third long-duration commercial crew mission.  The international crew of four spent 177 days in orbit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Personal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Chari was raised in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  He is married to Holly Schaffter Chari, also a Cedar Falls native, and the couple has three children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Education<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Graduated from Columbus High School in Waterloo, Iowa.  Earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in Astronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado.  Earned a master\u2019s 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. Graduated from US Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the time of his selection in June 2017, Chari was a Colonel select 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.  He has accumulated more than 2,500 hours of flight time in the F-35, F-15, F-16, and F-18 including F-15E combat missions in Operation Iraqi Freedom and deployments in support of the Korean peninsula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">NASA Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Chari reported for duty in August 2017 and completed two years of training as an Astronaut Candidate.  He then served as the Director of the Joint Test Team for the NASA Commercial Crew Program.  He served as commander of the NASA SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the ISS, which launched on November 10, 2021.  He served as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station for 177 days in orbit.  During his time on the Space Station he performed two spacewalks and helped in capturing and releasing three SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and two Cygnus cargo vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Awards\/Honors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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 distinguished graduate from the US Air Force Academy, Undergraduate Pilot Training, and the F-15E Formal Training Unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/chari-r.pdf?emrc=32fa45\">Astronaut Raja Chari (PDF 308 Kb)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summary Raja Chari was selected by NASA to join the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class.  He reported for duty in August 2017. The Iowa native graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1999 with a bachelor\u2019s degrees in Astronautical Engineering and Engineering Science.  He continued on to earn a master\u2019s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":107690,"template":"","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_people_facebook_url":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/astrorajachari","nasa_hds_core_meta_people_twitter_url":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Astro_Raja","nasa_hds_core_meta_people_instagram_url":"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/astro_raja\/","nasa_hds_core_meta_people_linkedin_url":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_people_title":"NASA Astronaut and U.S. Air Force Colonel"},"categories":[2800,3404],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[4941,10852,10472,3879],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"WebPage","headline":"Raja Chari","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/people\/raja-chari\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/people\/raja-chari\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jsc2017e114853_0.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jsc2017e114853_0.jpg"},"articleSection":"Humans in Space","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Rachael Whitefield"}],"creator":["Rachael Whitefield"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Humans in Space","Astronauts","Raja Chari"],"dateCreated":"2020-06-04T21:26:27Z","datePublished":"2020-06-04T21:26:27Z","dateModified":"2023-08-01T22:08:33Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"Raja Chari\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/people\/raja-chari\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"index\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jsc2017e114853_0.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2020-06-04T21:26:27Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Humans in Space\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Humans in Space,Astronauts,Raja Chari\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Rachael Whitefield\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":3,"featured_image":{"id":107690,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jsc2017e114853_0.jpg","title":"jsc2017e114853_0","alt":"Raja Chari","caption":"RAJA CHARI\nPHOTO DATE:  08-22-17\nLOCATION:  Bldg, 8, Studio\nSUBJECT:  Official portraits of new ASCAN class\nPHOTOGRAPHER: BILL STAFFORD"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/people\/88105"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/people"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/people"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/135"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/people\/88105\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":478394,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/people\/88105\/revisions\/478394"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/107690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88105"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=88105"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=88105"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=88105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}