Decorated U.S. Navy veteran and physician joins two Russian cosmonauts for ISS mission
U.S. Navy SEAL-turned-NASA astronaut Jonny Kim embarked on his maiden journey to space Tuesday aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, joining two Russian cosmonauts en route to the International Space Station.
Launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard Soyuz MS-27, Kim flew alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy. The trio is expected to dock with the ISS at 7:20 AM EDT following a scheduled arrival at 5:03 AM EDT. NASA live-streamed the launch and upcoming docking.
The mission marks the beginning of an eight-month stay aboard the orbiting laboratory, with a return slated for December.
A Navy SEAL, doctor, and now an astronaut
Jonny Kim, 41, is no stranger to elite accomplishments. Before joining NASA in 2017, he served as a Navy SEAL with more than 100 combat missions to his name, later earning a medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of San Diego.
Kim’s first spaceflight sees him serving as a flight engineer on Soyuz MS-27, a milestone in a career shaped by discipline and resilience. He is also part of NASA’s Artemis program, selected in 2020 as one of the astronauts tasked with returning humans to the Moon.
From South L.A. to outer space
Born to South Korean immigrants, Kim grew up in South Los Angeles. His father ran a liquor store; his mother was a teacher. Kim has spoken candidly about his troubled home life — including abuse from his father, who was killed by police in 2002 following a domestic incident.
Despite those early struggles, Kim excelled academically and athletically, participating in swimming and water polo in school. He joined the Navy in 2002, where he found his footing and began to develop the self-confidence that would propel his career.
“Going into the Navy was the best decision I ever made in my life,” Kim once said. “It completely transformed that scared boy who didn’t have any dreams into someone who started to believe in himself.”
A career forged in combat and classrooms
Kim trained in Special Operations Combat Medicine and joined SEAL Team 3 as a Special Warfare Operator. He served in multiple capacities — including sniper, navigator, and medic — across combat deployments.
His transition from battlefield to space was inspired by a chance meeting with astronaut–physician Scott Parazynski while studying medicine at Harvard. That encounter led Kim to apply for NASA’s astronaut program, where he was selected from a pool of over 18,000 applicants.
A rare distinction
To qualify for spaceflight duties, Kim underwent additional pilot training under a U.S. Navy–NASA program designed for astronaut candidates without previous military flight experience. He has since earned the rare dual designation of naval aviator and flight surgeon.
With Tuesday’s launch, Jonny Kim adds another chapter to a life defined by service, perseverance, and the pursuit of the extraordinary — now with his sights set on the stars.