Los Angeles Native Jonny Kim Assigned To First Space Station Mission

LOS ANGELES, CA — NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, a Los Angeles native, has been assigned to his first mission to the International Space Station.

Kim will serve as a flight engineer and member of the upcoming Expedition 72/73 crew, NASA announced.

Kim will launch on the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft in March 2025 and spend about eight months at the space station, according to NASA. Kim will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare the crew for future space missions.

He will be accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky.

NASA selected Kim as an astronaut in 2017. He is a U.S. Navy lieutenant commander and dual designated naval aviator and flight surgeon. He also served as an enlisted Navy SEAL.

Kim has a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of San Diego and a medical degree from Harvard Medical School in Boston.