A US man aged just 37 has become a NASA astronaut after previously being a US Navy Seal and a Harvard Doctor.
Dr. Jonny Kim left school at just 16 and signed up to be a Navy Seal out of a desire to serve his nation, a situation that had deeply hurt his mother's feelings as she had wished him to go straight to college or university. Dr. Kim said:
"She didn't like it very much. I think a lot of Asian Americans at least 20 years ago when I was going through this process just didn't really, weren't really comfortable with it."
After completing his training, Dr. Kim then took part in 100 combat missions, serving as a sniper and as a Special Operation Combat Medic, actions that would win him both the Silver and Bronze Star with valour.
While Dr. Kim then enrolled on a mathematics degree at the University of San Diego, it was his experiences in warzones that drove his desire to be a doctor.
Dr. Kim said he was inspired to take up medicine after tending a wounded soldier, he said:
"He had a pretty grave wound to the face. It was one of the worst feelings of helplessness. There wasn't much I could do, just make sure his bleeding wasn't obstructing his airway, making sure he was positioned well. He needed a surgeon. He needed a physician and I did eventually get him to one, but... that feeling of helplessness was very profound for me. Losing a lot of good friends galvanized me and made a lot of my remaining teammates make sure we made our lives worthwhile. I still, to this day, every day, think of all the good people who didn't get a chance to come home. I try to make up for the lives and positive [impact] they would have had if they were alive."
He graduated from Harvard Medical School in 2016, much to the delight of his parents.
It was then that Dr. Kim took his most radical move, switching from a medical doctor to astronaut, and despite the huge competition he was selected by the space agency in 2020. This means that it may be as soon as 2024 that Dr Kim eventually enters space.
On selection to NASA, Dr. Kim tweeted:
"A true privilege and honor to walk among the @NASA Astronaut Corps with my brothers and sisters. We know there are many qualified and deserving candidates out there - we're the lucky ones to represent humanity. Let's work towards a better future for our world and our children."
A true privilege and honor to walk among the @NASA Astronaut Corps with my brothers and sisters. We know there are many qualified and deserving candidates out there - we're the lucky ones to represent humanity. Let's work towards a better future for our world and our children. pic.twitter.com/eUv8iSK7gn
— Jonny Kim (@JonnyKimUSA) January 13, 2020
Kim told NBC:
"We are all a lot stronger and more capable than we really know. So I don't know what it's gonna be specifically, but I know it's going to be following that same compass."
[Based on reporting by: Ladbible]
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