Matthew Dominick
Matthew Stuart Dominick (born December 7, 1981; LCDR, USN) is a US Navy test pilot and NASA astronaut. 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.
Matthew Dominick | |
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Born | Matthew Stuart Dominick December 7, 1981 Wheat Ridge, Colorado, U.S. |
Status | Active |
Alma mater | University of San Diego (BS) Naval Postgraduate School (MS) |
Space career | |
NASA Astronaut | |
Current occupation | Naval pilot |
Rank | Lieutenant commander, USN |
Selection | NASA Group 22 |
Early life and education
Matthew Stuart Dominick was born on December 7, 1981 in Wheat Ridge, Colorado to Donald and Rhonda Dominick. He graduated from D'Evelyn Junior/Senior High School in Littleton, Colorado. In 2005, he received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of San Diego with minors in Physics and Mathematics, and was a member of the Navy ROTC and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.[1][2]
Military career
After graduation, Dominick commissioned as an Ensign in the US Navy. He attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at NAS Pensacola, and became a naval aviator in 2007. He attended F/A-18 Super Hornet training at VFA-106 in NAS Oceana, followed by an assignment to VFA-143. Dominick has two deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and was selected to attend a co-operative program that allowed him to earn a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and attend the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.[1]
After he became a test pilot, Dominick was assigned to VX-23. 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. He contributed to the development of the X-47B, V-22 Osprey, E-2C Hawkeye, and F-35C Lightning. His last assignment before his astronaut candidate selection was to VFA-115.[1]
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, Dominick was at sea on the USS Ronald Reagan.[1][3][4]
Personal life
Dominick and his wife, Faith, have two daughters. His parents still live in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.[1]
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 the Air Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal; and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. He is a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Society of Flight Test Engineers, and the Tailhook Association.[1]
References
- Garcia, Mark (February 7, 2018). "Astronaut Candidate Matthew Dominick". NASA. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
- "Matthew Stuart Dominick". Biographies of U.S. Astronauts. Spacefacts. April 18, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
- Harwood, William (June 7, 2017). "NASA introduces 12 new astronauts". CBS News. CBS Broadcasting. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- Dobrin, Isabel (June 8, 2017). ""It's incredibly humbling": Two NASA astronaut candidates with local ties are over the moon". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved September 17, 2018.