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 of driver in the U.S. Air Force. During his stint in the Air Force, he has gained around 2500 hours of flying experience in F-35, F-15, F-16 and F-18 fighter jets. At the time of being selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in 2017, Colonel Raja was serving as the Commander of the 461st Flight Test Team Squadron and Director of the F-35 Integrated Final Force.

Between July 2017 and October 2019, Raja Chari completed astronaut candidate training assignments. On November 11, 2021, as Spacecraft Commander under Expedition 66/67, performed research and migration to the International Space Station. During this he had two spaceflight opportunities, with a total time of 13 hours and 48 minutes. Raja Chari pulled off a total of 176 days, 2 hours and 39 minutes in space.

Raja Chari has been selected among the 18 astronauts for NASA's mission Artemis.In January 2023, US President Joe Biden nominated Raja Chari for the post of Air Force brigadier general.

Recently, Deepak Sharma, the Indian correspondent of Raumfahrt Concret, had the opportunity to talk with Raja Chari about his recent space travel, life journey, Artemis mission and much more. Here are the highlights of the interview.

Official Portrait of Mr. Raja Chari (Photo Credit: NASA)

Raumfahrt Concret: You served as a colonel in the US Air Force before joining NASA, so what really inspired you to apply for the Astronaut Candidateship.

Raja Chari: NASA was established with the purpose of exploring and discovering, with a focus on low Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars. I applied to NASA in both 2013 and 2017, but the reason for my second application was not solely about space exploration. Rather, it was more about the people at NASA. I was impressed with the organization, the teams at the Johnson Space Center and the individuals who work there. I wanted to be part of a team with exceptional people, which is why I applied again in 2017. Throughout my career, whether it was in the Air Force or NASA, I have been fortunate to have great teammates, friends, and coworkers, and this is what excites me about working at NASA. While I am also excited about exploring space, the best part of my job is working with the incredible people at NASA.

Raumfahrt Concret: As you belong to Indian Origin, would you like to tell us more about your Indian background? 

Raja Chari: I come from an Indian background. My grandfather's name was Venkata Chari and my grandmother's name was Abuja Devi. My grandfather was from Hyderabad, now in Telangana, India. He went to London in the 1940s to get his Ph.D. in mathematics and returned to India to become the head of mathematics at Osmania University. Unfortunately, he passed away at a young age and we don't know the exact cause of his death due to limited medical records and technology at that time. My grandmother Ambuja Devi took on the responsibility of raising the family, which was quite a significant task, given the Indian cultural background. Her sister, whom we all called Auntie Janaki, helped her raise the kids. These two matriarchs were the foundation of our family. 

My father came to the USA in the mid-70s to pursue his master's degree. That's where he met my mother. He initially settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin before moving to Iowa, where I was born and raised. He worked as an engineer at John Deere, a manufacturer of tractors. I spent most of my childhood in Iowa. My father grew up with a younger brother and sisters after his father's untimely death. He came to the United States to pursue his master's degree, met my mother, and stayed here. Most of my cousins have also come to the United States and gone back and forth, securing jobs in either country while also visiting their parents, my uncles, and aunts back in Hyderabad, where they're mostly based.

Our story is similar to many Indians in the diaspora. I'm very proud of my heritage and I believe a lot of who I am today and my success came from the values my father instilled in me, particularly his emphasis on education. He uprooted his life and moved to the United States in pursuit of knowledge and opportunities. Therefore, I try to pass on this sense of appreciation for education and the importance of learning to my children. This upbringing is also a significant reason why I am here today and doing what I do.

 

A family photo of Raja Chari.

Raumfahrt Concret: Have you always wanted to pursue a career as an astronaut or did you want to do something else in life?

Raja Chari: I wanted to be an astronaut when I was very young, around five or six years old. But as I got older, I started to think that it might not be a realistic goal. I think sometimes children underestimate their own potential and what they can achieve. So instead, I focused on my passion for flying and decided that I wanted to fly for the military. I was determined to make that happen and worked hard towards that goal. It wasn't until I was in test pilot school that I realized that I could actually apply to become an astronaut. I had the qualifications that they were looking for and had already pursued related experiences in space engineering. Despite my earlier doubts, the idea of flying in space started to become a real possibility for me later in life.

 

Raja Chari as young dreamer kid.

Raumfahrt Concret: Astronaut candidates have to go through a rigorous training programme of at least two years before traveling to space and the same training you received. Which part of the training was the most difficult for you?

Raja Chari: The most rigorous and challenging part of our training, in my opinion, is the extra vehicular activity (EVA) or spacewalk training. This type of training is physically and mentally demanding. Most of our EVA training takes place in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL), which is a large underwater mock-up of the space station in a massive pool. This training is crucial for simulating microgravity conditions on Earth, but it is also challenging both in orbit and during training. Therefore, I believe EVA training is the most challenging aspect of our training and job.

  

NASA astronaut candidate Raja Chari is lowered into the training pool for spacewalk training at NASA Johnson Space Center’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston. (Photo Credit: NASA)

Raumfahrt Concret: You visited and worked on the International Space Station as a flight engineer during the Mission Expedition 66/67. What were your main duties and research assignments during your stay on the International Space Station?

Raja Chari: Every day is different day on the International Space Station (ISS), but there are three main components to our daily routine. The first is research, as the ISS is essentially a laboratory orbiting in microgravity with all the facilities you would find in a lab on the ground, such as cryogenic freezers and glove boxes for contained experiments. We have all the telemetry necessary to connect with scientists on the ground, who work with us on research projects. About a third of our time is spent on research.

The second component is exercise, which takes up another third of our time. We do about three hours of exercise each day, including both resistive exercises like weights and cardio exercises. We need to exercise to maintain our bone and muscle mass since we spend 21 hours a day at rest. Without exercise, our bodies would quickly lose bone and muscle mass.

The remaining third of our time is spent on administrative tasks, which involve the upkeep of the space station, including managing logistics for vehicles, unpacking, repacking, organizing supplies, food, water, and clothes, as well as taking care of trash and waste disposal. We also spend time fixing and maintaining equipment, both as preventative measures and when things break down.

During our six-month expedition between 66 and 67, we conducted around 350 experiments covering a wide range of topics, such as plant research, water and carbon dioxide purification technologies, and pharmaceutical experiments. These experiments are well-suited for microgravity since materials and tissues behave differently in space than they do on Earth, and we can prototype new ideas rapidly. This allows us to explore new organ replacement techniques, materials technology, and new alloys, which we can then manufacture and scale on Earth if they prove viable.

Overall, our daily routine on the ISS is a combination of research, exercise, and administrative tasks, and it is an exciting opportunity to conduct experiments and push the boundaries of what we can achieve in space.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 66 Flight Engineer Raja Chari sequences DNA from bacteria samples using the BioMole Facility to understand the microbial environment on the International Space Station. (Photo Credit: NASA)

Raumfahrt Concret: Can you share with us some of your most memorable moments during your 177 days in space on the International Space Station?

Raja Chari: There were many memorable moments during my time on the ISS, which is why we often take pictures to remember them. However, what stands out to me the most are the experiences we shared as a crew. As humans, we tend to remember things we do with others the most, and for me, that includes the spacewalks I did with Kayla Barron and Matthias Maurer. Kayla and I trained together a lot, so it was a special experience to go on a spacewalk with her. Looking out of the window at Earth from the cupola was also a memorable experience, especially when witnessing something amazing like the Aurora or lightning storms. Sharing these moments with other crew members is what makes them truly unforgettable.

 

Raja Chari is pictured during a six-hour and 54-minute spacewalk to install thermal gear and electronic components on the International Space Station
(Photo Credit: NASA)

Raumfahrt Concret: Spacewalking is considered one of the most thrilling experiences for astronauts during their space missions. Could you share your personal account of your first-ever spacewalk?

Raja Chari: It was great to get to do a spacewalk with Kayla who I trained a lot with during ASCAN and we had done many NBL runs together.Very much like flying in the Air Force, you don’t really think about the fact you’re in space when you’re doing a spacewalk.  You’re very focused on the mission, the timeline, the equipment, etc and so it was only in a few moments when I was waiting for an answer from ground or pausing at a worksite that I could really soak in the surroundings.  I’m glad I was able to do a second spacewalk since that one I had more ability to multi-task the immediate mission with looking around. 

Raumfahrt Concret: Do you still experience any significant changes in your body as a result of the 177 days you spent in space? If so, what precautions or medical treatments are you taking to manage them?

Raja Chari: After spending six months in space, I can say that within a month of landing, your brain and body adapt remarkably quickly. Within just a few days, my vestibular system was back to normal, but the first 24 to 48 hours were very dramatic. It's tough to keep your balance and you can feel nauseous and motion sick. After about a week, all of the motion sickness symptoms disappeared, but you still have some stability issues due to the small muscles in your body that need to readjust. We're not allowed to drive for about two weeks after landing because our bodies are still getting used to sudden turns and movements. However, by about a month after landing, it's hard to tell that you've just come back from space. NASA has learned a lot about long-duration spaceflight, and we've found that exercising regularly while in orbit helps us to adapt quickly when we return to Earth. We're constantly making improvements to our exercise routines to make the transition even smoother.

The Orion capsule and the Gateway station are both smaller spaces than the International Space Station we have now. So, we're currently working on how to optimize exercise and workout routines in a smaller area while still achieving the same effects. However, after six months of returning to Earth, I can say that I wouldn't be able to tell that I had been in space. The only noticeable effect is a slight bone loss in my hips, which is fixing itself over time. There are no external effects that would indicate that I had been in space.

Raumfahrt Concret: How would you describe your life journey so far? And how important do you think self-belief is to achieving one's goals in life?

Raja Chari:I tell people to truly believe in their goals, especially if they're young kids. You should do what you enjoy doing and be passionate about it because if you are doing something you're passionate about, you'll do well at it. That was definitely the case for me. I was not fixated on being an astronaut; I was just fixated on doing what I enjoyed doing. I really liked flying and doing engineering work, and I found things that I was really passionate about. Honestly, it was pretty hard for me to leave my Air Force job and join NASA because I really enjoyed the job and the people there.

Raumfahrt Concret: NASA recently launched its first uncrewed spaceflight, Artemis-1, under the Artemis Programme, with the aim to send humans once again to the moon. On December 9, 2020, then Vice President of the U.S.A. Mr. Mike Pence announced your name as one of the 18 shortlisted potential candidates to travel to the Moon under the Artemis Programme. You may be one of the few who will step on the moon, and your name could be included in the same historic list of the twelve great Apollo astronauts who walked on the Moon during 1969-1972. How excited are you about this opportunity?

Raja Chari:We have recently launched and successfully recovered the Artemis 1. Our entire office is part of the Artemis team, and our jobs involve developing and testing the different programs. The Artemis program has various components, including the Space Launch System (SLS), the Human Landing System (HLS), the Gateway (a space station around the moon in a near-rectilinear halo orbit), the Orion capsule, and the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suits for lunar surface walks, which differ from the suits used for spacewalks on the ISS. We are all excited about the opportunity to work on Artemis 2, 3, and 4, as well as all follow-on missions. However, our primary focus is currently on assisting with the development and testing of these programs.

As a former test pilot, I enjoy working on the engineering and development of these programs. Our office is in the middle of constructing the Human Landing System (HLS), while the Gateway is under construction. Artemis 1 has launched and returned, and we are currently analyzing the data collected, including the reentry and system performance, to make adjustments for the next mission, Artemis 2. This mission will have people on board and will be a free return trajectory around the moon to test the vehicle's life support systems before the next step, Artemis 3, where we plan to dock the Orion capsule to the lander and send it to the moon's surface.

While it's surreal to think about people walking on the moon, we are more excited about the day-to-day work of getting there. Although my chances of going to the moon are very small, I am all in on making this mission work. I would be thrilled to see any of my colleagues walk on the moon. Working with amazing people and knowing that they will be walking on the moon is a great feeling. While we are balancing current and future operations, we are still performing our 24/7 operations in low Earth orbit at the space station. It is a busy but exciting time for us.

Raumfahrt Concret: Through the Artemis Mission, what are the main objectives of NASA to send its astronauts to the moon again?

Raja Chari: The big difference between Artemis and Apollo is that with Artemis, we plan to establish a permanent presence on the moon and target the polar regions for exploration. However, this is much more challenging than the Apollo missions as it requires a lot more energy and a new rocket system to accomplish the task. The Saturn 5 rocket that was used during the Apollo missions would not have enough thrust to get us to the moon's polar regions.

When we reach the moon, we want to enter into a polar orbit, which requires a significant amount of thrust to rotate the orbit by 90 degrees. This means that we need more energy to get there and come back, and even more energy to dissipate when we re-enter the atmosphere. Nevertheless, our goals for the Artemis mission are to learn to live and thrive on the moon, using it as a test bed to eventually reach Mars. We also hope to create a market on the moon for industry, just as we have done in low Earth orbit, by enabling the technology to live and sustain ourselves there. Our ultimate goal is to make the moon a global common.

The long-term plan for the Artemis mission is to build the Lunar Gateway, a space station orbiting the moon. We also plan to build sustainable habitats on the moon to learn how to use resources in situ, how to manufacture things and how to sustain life in such an environment. This presents a significant challenge as we have never done this before on another planet. The contracts we are already working on with private industry aim to build such habitats.

Using the moon as a test bed for Mars makes sense from a technology standpoint. We can prove out new technologies on the lunar surface, which is only seven days away, versus the Martian surface, which is a year and a half or two years away. If something breaks on the lunar surface, we can quickly bring new parts or fix it. In contrast, if something breaks on the Martian surface, we would be unable to fix it until a future mission.

From a physics and gravity standpoint, using the moon as a jumping-off point to reach Mars means we do not have to escape the gravity of Earth, which requires less thrust to reach Mars. This is one of the many reasons why the moon is a logical place to go as a midpoint on the way to Mars.

Raumfahrt Concret: Is there any special training being given to the astronauts going to the moon under the Artemis program? If yes, what are the salient features of this special training? 

Raja Chari: For now, most of the training is focused on the ISS although like any development program (and like the commercial crew program over the last several years) much of the training we get isn’t formal sit down class room training on Artemis. Instead we get a lot of our technical understanding of the system and operations because we’re all involved with the design and testing of the various parts of the program whether it’s SLS (the rocket), Orion (the capsule), Gateway (the lunar space station), the EMUs (space suits), or HLS (the lander).  As we work with those teams, you inherently learn how to operate them so I’d imagine the first few crews will get a combo of formal sit-down training but also have a lot of knowledge simply from working on the projects.

Raumfahrt Concret: Under the Gaganyaan programme, ISRO is working relentlessly to send three Indians to space from its soil with indigenous technology by 2024 and wants to become the fourth country after Russia, U.S.A. and China to do so. What would you like to say about the Gaganyaan programme and the overall journey of ISRO.

Raja Chari: I know that NASA is very excited about welcoming India as a human spaceflight nation and partnering with them in the future as we look forward to putting people back on the moon to live and stay. I am definitely looking forward to that launch and future partnerships. I had the chance to meet Indian astronauts who were in training when I was in Russia, but I am not allowed to disclose their identities. I briefly met them while we were both training in Star City, and it was pretty cool to know that they are working hard to get ISRO up into space shortly.

Raumfahrt Concret: This is the first time that NASA office has three astronauts of Indian origin like you, Sunita Williams, and Anil Menon. What are your thoughts on the growing presence of Indians in the global space exploration scene?

Raja Chari: I think it's a great indication of the diversity within our office and the Indian diaspora that we have three Indian American origin astronauts all in the office simultaneously. Our office is a cross-section of American society, and it's pretty representative of what you see walking around in an American city. Having Sunita Willaims's experience and helping Anil Menon as he gets up to speed in his astronaut candidate training has been an incredible opportunity for growth and relationship-building within the office. It's been pretty cool to see the progress and development of all three astronauts.

Raumfahrt Concret: On November 18th, 2022, ISRO launched the Vikram-S, the first private rocket developed by Indian start-up Skyroot Aerospace. With this successful launch, private players now have the opportunity to participate in the space sector, much like NASA did in the past with projects such as the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft that transported you to the ISS. In your opinion, what is the role of private sector corporations and start-ups in space exploration?

Raja Chari: There is a common misconception that we are competing with SpaceX, but in reality, NASA's charter is focused on private space companies and commercialization. SpaceX actually receives funding from NASA and we provide them with facilities like the Kennedy Space Center, which we also share with other companies such as Boeing, Blue Origin, Axiom, and Sierra Space. We are excited about the new industries that are emerging and we want to promote commercialization of low Earth orbit, which is our ultimate goal as a government agency. Our role is to take risks and develop new technologies, and then allow private industry to follow behind us and take advantage of these innovations. The same approach applies to lunar exploration; we want to take the first steps and expand the technology, but ultimately, we want to bring industry along with us. It's important that we partner with private industries and work together to achieve our goals, and that's exactly what we've been doing. We are thrilled to see a similar approach being adopted by private companies around the world and hope that this trend continues.

RaumfahrtConcret: Elon Musk is an innovative and inspiring figure who has demonstrated his commitment to achieving seemingly impossible goals, such as those in the space sector through his company SpaceX. What are your thoughts on his vision of sending humans to Mars and potentially even colonizing the planet?

Raja Chari: I’m happy to see commercial partners starting to work in low earth orbit.That’s been a long term goal of NASA and we’re continuing the same idea as we do the government role of developing new tech and reducing risk for lunar missions and learning how to live on the moon so that private industry can then take advantage of that effort.  SpaceX is just one of many companies who are taking big steps in low earth orbit and we look forward to continued responsible cooperation with all of them.As for getting humans to Mars, the technology we develop to live on another planet not only allows our species to become interplanetary but also solves resource problems we have right now on earth.  In either scenario, those provide resilience to our ability to exist as humans and be able to adapt to future changes whether they’re due to climate change or resource shortages. 

 

Deepak Sharma

E-mail: spacewalker008@gmail.com