NASA astronaut Jonny Kim has finally returned to Earth, successfully concluding his eight-month science mission. The Los Angeles native landed in Kazakhstan early Tuesday morning aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft, having departed the International Space Station (ISS) a day earlier.
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Kim, who is the son of Korean-American immigrants, was part of a three-person crew that included Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky. This long stint in space marked the first flight for Kim and Zubritsky.
From SEAL to Space Science
Jonny Kim is already known for his remarkable career transitions. Before being selected by NASA in 2017, he served as a highly decorated Navy SEAL, completing more than a hundred combat operations.
He then earned a degree in mathematics and a medical degree before joining the astronaut corps. He attended Santa Monica High School in Los Angeles.
Breakthroughs in Microgravity
During his 245 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, Kim contributed to a wide array of scientific investigations aimed at future space exploration and medical advancement on Earth.
He notably studied how bioprinted tissues containing blood vessels behave in microgravity. This experiment aims to advance the production of tissues in space to help treat patients on Earth.
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Kim also worked on developing ways to manufacture DNA-mimicking nanomaterials in space. This process could lead to improved drug delivery and support regenerative medicine back home.
After landing, Kim and his crewmates were set for post-landing medical checks in Kazakhstan before boarding a NASA aircraft. Kim is headed for the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The ISS continues to be a crucial testbed for NASA’s deep space missions under the Artemis campaign, which prepares humans for future missions to Mars.
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