WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Indian American astronaut Raja J Chari has been nominated by President Joe Biden for the appointment to the grade of Air Force brigadier general.

The nomination was announced on Thursday and will have to be confirmed by the Senate which approves all senior civilian and military appointments, according to the US Defense Department.

Air Force Colonel Chari, 45, was nominated for the appointment to the grade of brigadier general, it said in a statement.

Chari is currently serving as the Crew-3 commander and astronaut, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space Centre, Texas. He earned a master’s degree in aeronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated from the US Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland. Chari served as the commander of the 461st Flight Test Squadron and is the director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards Air Force Base in California.