Inspiration
This Korean-American Astronaut Used To Be A Navy SEAL Member, Then A Harvard Doctor, Before Joining NASA
This man has so many achievements and life experience.
35-year-old Johnny Kin has just graduated from his astronaut class that will send him and 11 other candidates on Artemis mission. But before a NASA astronaut, he’s also known as Dr. Kim, an ex-Navy SEAL member. Aside from his impressive achievements, he’s carving history for being the first Korean-American to be sent to outer space.
Johnny Kim, 35, will be the first Korean-American to embark on an outer space mission that might lead them to the first human step on Mars.
The Artemis mission to the moon can also end up as human’s first mission for exploring Mars. The Californian man has always been an adventure and was constantly searching for his mission. He’s also a father and a husband. It’s not every day that you see a man who’ve been to warzones, worked insane hours in hospitals and is now preparing to walk on the moon.
He loves stepping out of the comfort zone and tackle challenges.
Kim will become the first Korean-American to graduate and embark on an outer space journey. He graduated on January 10 at Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas.
13 NASA astronauts and 2 from CSA will be sent on their way for Artemis mission.
Kim was that quiet kid who had no confidence. But he started to find his path when he was 16 and learned about United States Naval Special Warfare Command. During an interview on Annals of Emergency Medicine back in 2018, he said, “Going into the Navy was the best decision I ever made in my life.”
“It completely transformed that scared boy who didn’t have any dreams to someone who started to believe in himself,” said the man who earned a Silver and Bronze star after two deployments to Ramadi and Sadr City Iraq in Middle East.
He then attended Harvard Medical School with a specialization in emergency medicine and graduated in 2016.
He recalls a painful memory of watching a friend died during one of his missions. He felt helpless in 2006 as he was unable to be the doctor and surgeon he needed at that moment. He said, “That feeling of helplessness was very profound for me.”
He knew he was selected as a candidate for NASA’s class in June 2017.
Kim spent two years in the class with his group in spacewalking, robotics, International Space Systems, T-38 jet proficiency and Russian language. The 12 people that were selected for the mission from NASA were chosen out of 18,300 applicants.
Kim couldn’t describe his happiness as he pumped his fist during the graduation ceremony. During an interview with Gazette in 2017, he said, “I’m excited for the adventure. I think it’ll be another occupation where I say, ‘I can’t believe I’m getting paid for doing this.'”
