Jasmin Moghbeli
NASA Astronaut and U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel
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Summary
Jasmin Moghbeli was selected by NASA to join the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class. She reported for duty in August 2017. The New York native earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering with information technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, followed by a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School. Moghbeli, an AH-1W Super Cobra pilot and Marine Corps test pilot, has over 150 combat missions and 2,000 hours of flight time in over 25 different aircraft. She is also a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, MD. Moghbeli launched to the International Space Station as Commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on August 26, 2023 and successfully docked on August 27, 2023.
Personal
Moghbeli was born in Bad Nauheim, Germany but considers Baldwin, New York her hometown. Her parents, Fereshteh and Kamy Moghbeli, currently reside in Texas. She is married to the former Sam Wald of San Antonio, Texas. They enjoy paddle boarding, dancing, flying kites, skate boarding together and are proud parents of twin girls.
Education
Graduated from Baldwin Senior High School in Baldwin, New York. Earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering with information technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland.
Experience
Moghbeli was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in 2005 upon completion of her undergraduate degree. After completing Initial Flight School (IFS) and The Basic School (TBS) in Quantico, Virginia, she reported to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida for flight training. She earned her wings of gold as a Naval Aviator in 2008 and reported to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron 303 (HMLA/T‑303) for training in the AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter.
She began her operational flying career in 2008 with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 (HMLA‑367) Scarface at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Camp Pendleton, California. She deployed with HMLA‑367 to support International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010. Upon return from deployment, she was attached to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163 (HMM‑163) Reinforced (REIN) at MCAS Miramar, California and deployed in support of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in 2011. She was subsequently reassigned to HMLA‑367 and completed her third deployment with HMM‑262 (REIN) in support of the 31st MEU in 2012.
Upon return from her final deployment, she reported for duty at the United States Naval Test Pilot School in NAS Patuxent River, Maryland to join Class 144. She began her developmental test tour in 2014 with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 31 (VX‑31) aboard NAS China Lake, California after completing a conversion syllabus to the upgraded AH‑1Z and UH‑1Y at MCAS Camp Pendleton. While at VX-31, Moghbeli began pursuing her master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School while executing a variety of flight tests, to include several weapons systems, a ground proximity warning system, software upgrades, and an electronic warfare pod. In 2015, Moghbeli reported to MCAS Yuma, Arizona to join Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 22 (VMX‑22) and, subsequently, became a plank holder for Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 (VMX-1).
At the time of her selection in June 2017, Moghbeli was testing H-1 helicopters and serving as the quality assurance and avionics officer for VMX-1. She has accumulated more than 150 combat missions and 2,000 hours of flight time in over 25 different aircraft.
NASA Experience
Moghbeli reported for duty in August 2017 and completed two years of training as an Astronaut Candidate. She was assigned technical duties in the exploration office, where her primary focus was on the development of the Human Landing System. Moghbeli launched to the International Space Station as Commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on August 26, 2023 and successfully docked on August 27, 2023.
Moghbeli traveled 84,434,094 miles during her mission, spent 197 days aboard the space station, and completed 3,184 orbits around Earth. The Crew-7 mission was the first spaceflight for Moghbeli.
Throughout their mission, the Crew-7 members contributed to a host of science and maintenance activities and technology demonstrations. Moghbeli conducted one spacewalk, joined by NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara, replacing one of the 12 trundle bearing assemblies on the port solar alpha rotary joint, which allows the arrays to track the Sun and generate electricity to power the station.
The crew contributed to hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations, including the first study of human response to different spaceflight durations, and an experiment growing food on the space station.
After splashing down safely in their Dragon spacecraft off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, on March 12, 2024, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 completed a six-month science mission spent aboard the International Space Station.
Awards/Honors
Awarded a Meritorious Service Medal, four Air Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and various unit commendations. Recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and NASA Space Exploration Medal. Awarded the US Navy Test Pilot School Class 144 Outstanding Developmental Phase II Award and the Commander Willie McCool Outstanding Student Award as the Class 144 Honor Graduate.