Breaking News: A Torero in Space

USD alumnus Matthew Dominick ’05 Arrives at International Space Station

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick ’05 (BS/BA) has made history as the first University of San Diego (USD) alumni to journey into outer space. Early this morning, Dominick, commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission, successfully docked  at the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. 

The @SpaceX Dragon Endeavor hatch opens at 3:50am ET (0850 UTC) and #Crew8 is welcomed aboard the @Space_Station. pic.twitter.com/jmVk1oxJaZ

— NASA (@NASA) March 5, 2024

“What an incredible time to be in space flight,” Dominick said last week when the crew arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for final preparations. “Who would have thought five or six years ago that this would be the fifth flight of an endeavor we get to go on? Who would have thought that the competition or constraints for launch would be a launch pad? There’s stiff competition. We are super excited to fly and Crew 7, we are coming for you.” 

Dominick, 42, earned a dual BS/BA degree in electrical engineering from USD’s Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering. He was selected out of more than 18,300 candidates to join NASA as part of its 2017 astronaut candidate class of 12. The class also included fellow USD alumnus Jonathan (Jonny) Kim ’12 (BA).

In December 2020, both Dominick and Kim were revealed among 47 active astronauts chosen by NASA for the Artemis Lunar Mission Training Program. “My previous job was to keep the world from going backwards,” he said at the time. “This job is about getting the world to go forward.” 

Dominick’s journey into space started at USD, where he cultivated an unquenching passion for learning. Professor of electrical engineering Mikaya Lumori recalls serving as Dominick’s advisor from 2002-05. 

"He came to USD through the ROTC program,” he said. “He was very interested from his freshman year in becoming an astronaut — he was always coming [to class] in his uniform and working hard on software." 

Lumori would often work late on campus and recalls Dominick working in the electrical engineering lab until 3 a.m. perfecting his senior design project. He considered leadership and communication as Dominick's top strengths. "In his final year there was an IEEE Society competition between USD and all the local universities. He came in at the top in the competition."

“Matt is a tremendous example of applying yourself to move forward and constantly learn new things,” said Kathleen Kramer, PhD, professor of Electrical Engineering. “There is a great lesson in not taking the easiest and quickest way. In engineering, we are advancing technology for humanity and Matt is doing that, literally, onward and upward. His story is inspiring and he is motivating the next generation and this generation.” 

In October 2022, Dominick returned to campus for “Toreros in Space,” a homecoming event hosted by USD's Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering. There, he engaged with the USD community, offering insights into his astronaut experiences during a live one-on-one interview with engineering dean Chell Roberts, PhD, inside the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Theater.

In his talk, Dominick shared valuable wisdom on pursuing ambitious goals, saying, “It’s important when you are working towards a big goal to take a chunk of each day, a specific block of time when you learn something new. It’s taking little steps to progress each day. At my core, I’m a very curious person, and always trying to learn something new is what drives me.”

Dominick, from Wheat Ridge, Colorado, also has a master’s degree in systems engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and, according to NASA’s website, the 35-year-old was at sea on the USS Ronald Reagan serving as department head for Strike Fighter Squadron 115 when he received the call that he’d been selected as an astronaut candidate. In addition to his dual engineering degree, Dominick has minors in math and physics at USD.

— USD News Center