Meet the Newest Artemis Team Member Jonny Kim
U.S. Navy SEAL, Doctor, Harvard Graduate, and now Astronaut
Dr. Jonny Kim is the first Korean-American to become an astronaut. Before becoming an astronaut, Dr. Jonny Kim was a U.S. Navy SEAL who had completed over 100 combat operations and was awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star with Combat “V.”
Dr. Kim grew up in Los Angeles, California, and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics where he graduated summa cum laude from the University of San Diego. In 2016, he graduated from Harvard Medical School.
From there, Dr. Jonny Kim was selected to be a part of the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class. As of now, Jonny Kim, an Astronaut, ex. Navy SEAL, and Doctor, will join an incredibly diverse and talented set of heroic individuals who plan to walk on the moon and Mars in 2024.
“And that’s what really excites me when I think of Artemis. The lives that we are going to going to positively impact on this endeavor. It’s hard to articulate all of those emotions, but it’s wow. I am an astronaut, and I have this amazing opportunity to serve my country and humanity.”
– Jonny Kim, NASA
What You Need to Know
- Dr. Jonny Kim is the first Korean-American to become an astronaut
- He was a U.S. Navy SEAL and is the recipient of the Silver Star and Bronze Star with Combat “V”
- He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and graduated summa cum laude
- He also holds a Doctorate of Medicine from Harvard Medical School
- He is a firm believer in “controlled aggression” where he learned “hard skills” from being a Navy SEAL and “soft skills” through his education at Harvard Medical School
Why Dr. Kim Became an Astronaut
“Exploration is written in our human DNA. When I realized that being an astronaut is really the opportunity to expand our understanding of the cosmos, to make our world a better place, all while inspiring the next generation of children, the same children that didn’t have the confidence to dream like I did, that was when I realized that I absolutely wanted to become an astronaut.”
