Jonathan Yong Kim, born in Los Angeles in 1984, pursued a multifaceted career as a U.S. Navy SEAL, physician, and NASA astronaut. After a decade of military service, he transitioned to medicine and aerospace development, eventually launching to the International Space Station in 2025 as part of the Expedition 72/73 crew before returning to his naval aviation duties.
Military Service and Combat Operations
Enlisting in the United States Navy in 2002, Kim was assigned to SEAL Team 3. During his tenure as a Special Warfare Operator Hospital Corpsman, he deployed twice to the Middle East. He participated in over 100 combat missions, fulfilling roles as a combat medic, sniper, navigator, and point man. His service earned him several military honors, including the Silver Star, the Bronze Star Medal with Combat V, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat V, and the Combat Action Ribbon.
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While serving in the Navy, Kim attended the University of San Diego, graduating summa cum laude in mathematics in 2012. He subsequently attended Harvard Medical School, receiving his Doctor of Medicine in 2016. Kim underwent residency training in emergency medicine through the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency program at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Following his medical training, he entered the Navy Medical Corps as a flight surgeon.
NASA Career and Spaceflight
In 2017, Kim was selected for NASA Astronaut Group 22 from a pool of over 18,300 applicants. He served as a capsule communicator at the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center and was named to the Artemis program training group in 2020. On 8 April 2025, he launched aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft for Expedition 72/73. He spent his mission conducting research in biology, Earth science, and technology development before returning to Earth on 9 December 2025.
Aeromedical Dual Designation
Kim achieved the status of Aerospace Medicine Dual Designator, a rare qualification held by only 79 individuals in U.S. Navy history since World War I. This designation signifies that an individual is both a physician and a naval aviator. He completed his solo flight training in a Beechcraft T-6 Texan II in 2022 and finished his formal flight instruction at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in March 2023.
Fast facts
- Born: 5 February 1984, Los Angeles
- Education: University of San Diego (BA), Harvard Medical School (MD)
- Military Rank: Lieutenant Commander
- Spaceflight: Expedition 72/73 (2025)
- Major Awards: Silver Star, Bronze Star Medal
- NASA Group: Astronaut Group 22
- Specialization: Aerospace Medicine Dual Designator
Questions readers ask
Did Jonny Kim remain at NASA after his spaceflight?
No, Kim stepped down from his NASA position on 27 August 2026 to resume active duty in the U.S. Navy for aviation training.
What is the Aeromedical Dual Designator?
It is a rare dual qualification in the U.S. Navy for individuals who are both licensed physicians and qualified naval aviators.
Achievements
- Silver Star
- Bronze Star Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Commendation Medal
- Recorded as astronaut, physician and naval surgeon
