USD’s Jonny Kim to Embark on Eight-Month ISS Journey with Russian Cosmonauts

Jonny Kim, Navy SEAL and USD Alumnus, Heads to ISS

University of San Diego graduate Jonny Kim, a 40-year-old student is set to make his mark in space as he is going to begin an eight-month mission on the International Space Station next March. On his first space mission, he will serve as a flight engineer and move to an orbiting outpost, joining Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexy Zubritsky as mentioned by The Space Agency.

Kim has a notable career in the Navy before joining NASA. He enlisted in the Navy in 2002 straight out of high school, serving with SEAL Team 3 in San Diego. He was also deployed twice to Iraq, where he was a sniper, navigator, and on medical duties.
In just three years after enrolling at the University in 2009, he graduated with a degree in mathematics and continued to Harvard University to earn a medical degree. Later on, enrolled in NASA's astronaut training program in 2017 and is presently assigned to the moon landing project, known as Project Artemis.

The University has a proud history of contributing talented individuals to NASA. Among them are Jessica Meir and Kate Rubins, both UC San Diego alumni, who have each served on the International Space Station. Additionally, Megan McArthur, another UCSD graduate, worked as an engineer on the final space shuttle mission and spent six months aboard the space station. The first American woman, Sally Ride, completed two trips in the space shuttle. Following her spaceflight career, she became a member of the UC San Diego physics faculty. One of the research ships at the institution bears her name in recognition of her services.

Editor's Note:

The University of San Diego has a rich history of contributing its talented alumni to space missions, Jonny Kim a former Navy SEALis set to commence an extraordinary journey to the International Space Station, he will join Russian cosmonauts for this eight-month moon landing mission “Artemis.”This opportunity marks Kim's first spaceflight and is a significant milestone in his impressive career. His selection for this mission underscores the strong connection between San Diego and space exploration, following the notable achievements of other local astronauts. 

Skoobuzz congratulates Kim on his accomplishments and looks forward to his contributions to space research and discovery.