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The hatch on the SpaceX Dragon capsule opens. Slowly, and with much support, USD alumnus Matthew Dominick '05 (BS/BA) exits and stands warily on solid ground for the first time in more than seven months.

Dominick, commander of NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 mission, receives a loud round of applause as he is assisted to a waiting gurney. Dominick flashes a wide smile and gives a thumbs up as he is wheeled away from the capsule.

The four member crew comprised of Dominick, Mike Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin splashed down into Gulf of Mexico miles off the Florida coast at 3:29 a.m. this morning, ending a successful mission in which they spent more than 230 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

On March 6, Dominick made history as the first USD alumni to journey into outer space. Dominick earned a dual BS/BA degree in electrical engineering from USD's Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering.

"We are the experiment," Dominick said, floating among instruments in the Columbus module aboard the ISS during an exclusive interview with USD in April. "The more people we can get into space, the bigger the sample size we can get to understand what happens to humans when they go into space."

Dominick 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.

In August, it was announced that Kim will serve as flight engineer and crew member of the upcoming Expedition 72/73 mission, slated for launch in Spring 2025. It will be Kim's first mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

- USD News Center