Matthew Dominick

Matthew Stuart Dominick (born December 7, 1981; LCDR, USN) is a US Navy test pilot and a NASA astronaut candidate of the class of 2017. 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.

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 Lakewood, 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.

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.

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.

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 (CVN-76).

Personal life
Dominick and his wife, Faith, have two daughters. His parents still live in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

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.