Biography
Who is Tim Dodd?
Early career and photography
Tim Dodd began his professional life as a photographer. His main income came from taking photos at weddings. This work gave him plenty of free time to study rockets. He created a series of space-themed photos that gained popularity.
The website Spaceflight Now eventually hired him to document specific events. Tim photographed the SpaceX CRS-3 cargo mission. This trip to the International Space Station happened on April 18, 2014. He also covered the NASA Orion Test Flight EFT-1. This event took place on December 5, 2014. His assignments included the NASA OA-6 Mission. This occurred on March 23, 2016. He also photographed a launch for the United States Air Force called GPS 2F-9.
The Everyday Astronaut persona
In 2013, Tim bought an orange Russian high altitude survivor suit through an online auction. This suit was designed for water landings. He wore it as a joke during a 2014 rocket launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The suit later became a trademark for his digital content.
By late 2016, he decided to stop focusing on photography for employment. He spent more time on his Everyday Astronaut persona on Twitter and Instagram. In 2017, he started a YouTube channel dedicated to spaceflight education. This became his primary career. Tim also creates music that Rocket Lab uses for its launches.
Space projects and honors
Tim applied for a lunar mission in 2022. He was selected for the crew of the dearMoon project. This flight was planned to use the SpaceX Starship. It would have been the first commercial cislunar spaceflight. If the mission had happened, Tim would have been the first YouTuber to enter cislunar space.
However, organizers cancelled the project in June 2024. They cited delays in the Starship program as the reason. Later, the International Astronomical Union honored his career. On March 17, 2025, they named asteroid 1999 RC2. This Mars-crossing object is now called 27234 Timdodd.
The Astro Awards
Tim created the Astro Awards in 2017 as a virtual ceremony. He used these videos to recap the previous year in spaceflight. Starting in 2024, he moved the event to an in-person show. These ceremonies happen every January at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas. He presents awards to spokespersons from various space agencies.
The show is similar to the Michael Collins Trophy from the National Air and Space Museum. In 2017, the first place award went to SpaceX SES-10. This was for reflighting an orbital-class booster. Other honors that year included the August 2017 total solar eclipse and the Cassini mission's final crash into Saturn. In 2018, honors went to the Parker Solar Probe and the InSight Mars landing.
Birthday and age
Tim Dodd was born on February 27, 1985, which makes Tim 41 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Tim shares the date with 32 other famous people.
Explore more
