Indian-American astronaut nominated for promotion to US Air Force brigadier general

The nomination announced on Thursday will have to be confirmed by the Senate which approves all senior civilian and military appointments.

The US Air Force uses the same ranks as the Army, which considers brigadiers to be one-star generals.

Chari is a member of the Artemis team of astronauts preparing for the US mission of returning to the moon.

In 2021, he commanded a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) crew to the International Space Station where he served for 177 days and conducted a spacewalk.

Before joining NASA, Chari was an Air Force test pilot with a master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in aeronautics and astronautics.

–IANS