Jonny Kim poised to be first Korean American in space

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, 41, spoke of the inspiration of space during a NASA-sponsored virtual press conference Tuesday as he preps for his launch next month.

“There is so much work that goes on behind the scenes in every mission, whether manned or unmanned,” Kim said during the event. “Just to have a small contribution in that is really meaningful to me.” He added that he was particularly looking forward to seeing the view from space.

Los Angeles native Kim, a father of three, will become the first Korean American in space when his mission takes him to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Russian spacecraft Soyuz MS-27 along with two Russian colleagues. They are expected to launch on April 8.

Kim’s mission is part of NASA’s Expedition 73, the 73rd long-duration expedition to the ISS. The crew of three are expected to spend eight months aboard the ISS, to return in the fall. During their mission, they will perform experiments to further scientific research in various fields and perform maintenance tasks aboard the ISS as needed.

Kim spoke from his temporary location in Star City, a suburb of Moscow, where he is undergoing training. All his training has been in Russian, he said, adding that learning Russian had been one of his hardest challenges thus far. However, he said, “teamwork transcends language barriers.”

Once on board the ISS, which is known as an “orbital lab,” Kim is expected to participate in NASA’s CIPHER study, instituted to study the impact of spaceflight on the human body through a series of long-running physiological tests. He explained that programs like CIPHER are an essential step towards manned missions to the moon and eventually to Mars.

Kim maintains an online journal in the form of an X account and an Instagram account, where he regularly posts scenes from his training.

Earlier this year, in a post titled “oxygen appreciation day,” he described how he has to subject himself to elevated levels of carbon dioxide in order to learn how to be alert to the signs of carbon dioxide poisoning if it were to occur. “Never try this test without professionals,” he warned.

In other posts, he has described the peculiar mechanics of spacewalks, which require extensive training, and shown off the virtual reality systems at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, which simulate the entire ISS.

When asked what he looks forward to the most, Kim mentioned spacewalks.

“I really hope I get to contribute to a spacewalk,” he said. “I’m very interested in physical and mental challenges, and a spacewalk is that. It’s very visceral—you are out there in the abyss of space in a spacesuit.”

Kim also spoke of the importance of aligning one’s work with one’s passions and never giving up in the face of setbacks.

Several interviewers remarked on Kim’s circuitous path to becoming an astronaut, after having excelled in multiple fields.

According to his NASA bio, he served as an enlisted Navy SEAL and also went to Harvard Medical School. In the Navy, he served as a lieutenant commander and a dual designated naval aviator and flight surgeon. He became part of NASA’s class of 2017 when he was selected as one of 12 applicants from a pool of 18,300.

As for his future career at NASA, Kim was asked if he would someday like to participate in a moon mission.

Kim emphatically said he would. “I’m going to be real with you, if you ask a 100% of astronauts this question, 100% would say of course they’d participate,” Kim said, chuckling.

However, he added that what matters is what is required of him for the space program, not what he wants.

“What’s unique about NASA astronauts is that we raised our right hands and swore an oath,” Kim said during the press conference. “Our motto is that we fly in space for the betterment of humankind. ”