Astronaut Raja Chari - A Childhood Dream Come True
NASA Astronaut Raja Jon Vurputoor Chari was born on June 24, 1977 in the city of Milwaukee, United States of America. He is the third astronaut of Indian origin after Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams. His father's name is Late Mr. Srinivas V. Chari and mother's name is Mrs. Peggy Edward. His brother's name is Mr. Krishna Chari. Raja Chari is married to Holly Schaffter Chari and they have two sons and a daughter. He was raised in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Raja Chari completed his elementary education in the year 1995 from Columbus High School, Waterloo, Iowa. He received a Bachelor of Astronautical Engineering degree from the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1999 and a Master of Science in Astronautical Engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge in 2001. After completing his master's, he attended undergraduate pilot training at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. In the year 2003, he got the appointment to the post o