15 Facts About Raja Chari

Raja Jon Vurputoor Chari was born on June 24,1977 and is an American test pilot and NASA astronaut.

Raja Chari is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and US Naval Test Pilot School, and has over 2,000 flying hours.

Raja Chari is a brigadier general in the United States Air Force.

Raja Chari was raised in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and attended Columbus High School, graduating in 1995.

Raja Chari attended the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science in astronautical engineering and engineering science, with a minor in mathematics.

Raja Chari then attended F-15E Strike Eagle training at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina and, following completion of the training syllabus, subsequently served as an F-15E Evaluator Pilot and Chief of Standardization and Evaluation with the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska and 494th Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, England, deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2007, Raja Chari attended the US Naval Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland as an Air Force exchange officer, and, following graduation a year later, was assigned to the 40th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin AFB, Florida, where he served as the project pilot for the APG-63 and APG-82 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar programs.

Raja Chari attended the US Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, served as a time-sensitive targeting officer in the United States Central Command's Combined Joint Operations Center, and was a program manager for a major defense acquisition program in the Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office.

At the time of his selection as an Astronaut in June 2017, Raja Chari was serving as commanding officer of the 461st Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, California.

In January 2023, Raja Chari was nominated for promotion to brigadier general.

In June 2017, Raja Chari was selected for NASA Astronaut Group 22, and reported for duty in August to begin two years of training as an astronaut.

Raja Chari is the first NASA rookie to command a spaceflight since Joe Engle, who commanded the STS-2 mission in 1981.

Raja Chari ultimately secured it using wire, and the spacewalk was completed successfully.

Raja Chari is married to Holly Schaffter Raja Chari, a Cedar Falls native, and the couple have three children.

Raja Chari is an Eagle Scout, and was a distinguished graduate from the US Air Force Academy and Undergraduate Pilot Training.