Is Josh Dobbs an Astronaut? Everything to Know About the NFL ‘Passtronaut’

In the world of sports, nicknames can run the gamut from uninspired to iconic. Joshua Dobbs of the Minnesota Vikings and his “passtronaut” moniker sit firmly in the latter category. The idea of a rocket scientist playing football in the National Football League (NFL) is already cool; adding a catchy title into the equation pushes things over the top.

But being called “The Passtronaut” raises some logical questions. Has Dobbs ever actually been an astronaut? What is his connection to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)? And how did he get involved with outer space in the first place?

Let’s break all of that down.

Is Joshua Dobbs an Astronaut?

Calling Dobbs “The Passtronaut” suggests that he has blasted off into outer space before. And while the idea of double-dipping between space exploration sounds pretty cool (and like something Homer Simpson might pull off), Dobbs hasn’t crossed into the final frontier.

However, the quarterback’s interest in space is genuine. He studied aerospace engineering in college and did an NFLPA Externship at NASA. Actually strapping into a space shuttle and taking flight, however, hasn’t been checked off the metaphorical to-do list just yet.

How Did Dobbs Get Into Outer Space?

While there are many ways that people find their way into their chosen careers, many professional seeds are planted during childhood. That’s what happened for Dobbs, both in terms of football and space exploration.

“Josh Dobbs’ love for space dates back to his days as a six-year-old, when his strong appetite for math problems and science experiments kept his parents on their toes,” an NFL Players Association (NFLPA) post explained.

During an interview on ABC News’ This Week on Sunday, Dobbs provided a bit more context about his dual loves.

“I quickly learned I love sports, but I also loved aviation,” the quarterback explained. “I love math and science. And so that’s kind of where the beginning of the aerospace background began when I was younger. You know, I got to school, I said I want to do something I’m good at and something that I like and interested in. And so, when I was trying to figure out what to study, aerospace engineering really knocked out both buckets.”

Dobbs also credited his parents, Stephanie and Robert, for “nurturing his passions.”

Dobbs Has Worked for NASA

Remember how we laid out that “The Passtronaut” hasn’t actually been to space? Well, he has gotten closer to the final frontier than many people have.

Dobbs studied aerospace engineering in college and carried that passion with him into the pros. And during his time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the signal-caller “spent a month at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of the NFLPA Externship, an experience that culminated with him being on site for the historic SpaceX launch to the International Space Station.”

In the aforementioned NFLPA piece, Dobbs spoke about his experience.

“Going into it my goal was to get a fully encompassing experience,” he said. “To be an aerospace engineer at NASA and go in daily and take on daily engineering tasks at Kennedy Space Center. I definitely accomplished that. I originally started in the instrumentation department and them from there, my experience really varied through everything space. I was in the instrumentation one day. Another day I was at the launch pad. Another day I was at launch cove center. It was a very broad experience and I was able to see the entire experience of everything that goes on down there.”

And if you’re curious about what he actually did with NASA, then you’re in luck. Dobbs himself explained exactly that.

“It’s hard to pull out one thing. I did everything from the swamp works, where I was seeing the futuristic moon rover, seeing different tools they’ll be taking to space like a 3D printer that’s able to combine moon dirt regalift (?) and literally make anything you could need to survive. I was around a lot of the experimental groups like the trash to gas group where you take trash you accumulate in the space craft and convert it to gas you can use to power your space craft,” he said when asked about the most memorable part of his externship.

He added: “I was able to see a launch down there. See the mobile launcher that the new rocket is going to be on. The biggest rocket ever made. I was able to see the crawler. The cool thing to be able to say is that I was able to see the big picture and see how all the parts of the space center work together, and to be around those great engineers down there.”

‘The Passtronaut’ Does Want to Go to Space

As documented in an October post on the Arizona Cardinals’ website, Dobbs still wants to go to space.

“Go to space and come back,” Dobbs clarified last month on The Dave Pasch Podcast. “A lot of people are like, ‘Go to space, go to the moon, go to Mars. Obviously we haven’t sent people to Mars yet.”

He added: “It’s really cool to see the amount of commercial opportunities to go to space and the amount of people that have the opportunities to become astronauts. It’s on my bucket list. Obviously that’s a huge decision to make but it would be cool.”

The post also noted that Cardinals former wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald was also interested in the final frontier, so maybe the two men could join forces in a lower-gravity environment; if you can hit a golf ball on the moon, why not complete a pass?

Dobbs’ Passion Is Setting a Good Example

While everyone has different barometers of cool, there’s something to be said for a football-playing astronaut who goes by a unique nickname. And that curb appeal helps Dobbs set a good example for kids who are interested in science and technology.

As journalist Xuan Thai laid out in an ESPN story on Monday, “The Passtronaut’s” on-field success in Minnesota is paying off-field dividends. The Science Museum of Minnesota, which has a partnership with the Vikings, “is beginning to address the interest by planning new educational programs centered on ‘The Passtronaut.'” Dobbs himself even took part in a recent Q+A session, and, as you might expect, the students were rather engaged.

“I think it helps broaden the expectations that students have. There’s a lot of stereotypes around science [and] around engineering, about who is and who isn’t sort of welcome in those fields,” Farzad Sadjadi, the museum’s director of STEM education, said. “I think having someone like Josh there, sort of in the public space, it allows us to draw examples. And I think when he’s able to be directly interacting with students, drawing those connections himself, it’s even more powerful.”