Jonny Kim, the first Korean American astronaut, is set to travel to the International Space Station on April 8.
According to NASA's website on Monday, Kim will board the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft, along with astronauts Sergey Ridgkov and Alexei Zubritzky from the Russian Federal Space Corp.
During their eight-month stay aboard the orbital laboratory, set to conclude in late fall, Kim will engage in scientific research and technology trials to help prepare for future space missions while also offering benefits to people on Earth, according to NASA.
“I’m incredibly honored to represent NASA in our continued commitment to international collaboration and scientific discovery,” Kim wrote via Instagram.
The upcoming mission marks Kim's first spaceflight since he was selected as a member of NASA's 2017 astronaut class.
After completing the astronaut candidate training in 2020, Kim took on several roles to support crew operations, including the Expedition 65 lead operations officer, T-38 operations liaison and space station capcom chief engineer.
Kim, 41, was born in Los Angeles to South Korean immigrant parents. He served as a US Navy SEAL and participated in several high-risk combat missions.
He is also a physician trained at Harvard Medical School, having completed his internship through the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Additionally, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of San Diego.
"For more than two decades, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge, and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit," NASA said in a statement.
cjh@heraldcorp.com
