posted 04-04-2006 01:37 PM            

The first-ever Korean will fly into space, as early as April, 2008.

The Science and Technology Ministry says it will begin a screening process next month, to nominate two Korean astronauts by the end of the year.

The ministry says any Korean over the age of 19 can be considered as a candidate.

posted 11-08-2006 03:17 PM            

A nationwide competition to choose the country's first astronaut is intensifying with the field to be narrowed by the end of next month to a final ten candidates.

Earlier this month, around 36 thousand initial hopefuls were whittled down to just 30.

The Science and Technology Ministry and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute say the final 10 will be announced around November 24th following in-depth physical exams, interviews, and tests conducted under simulated space environments.

posted 11-25-2006 01:03 PM            

The field of candidates vying to be South Korea's first astronaut has been reduced to 10 from over 36,000 people who initially applied to become a space traveler in early 2008.

The Ministry of Science and Technology Friday announced the 10-person list whittled down from 30 after the third-round of in-depth physical and mental check-ups were completed.

posted 12-25-2006 11:06 AM               

In 2008, either a male Samsung researcher or a female Ph.D. student will travel into space, something no Korean has done before.

In a gala ceremony broadcast nationwide on SBS television Monday, the Ministry of Science and Technology picked a pair of candidates, one of whom will rocket to the International Space Station 15 months from now.

The winning pair are Ko San, 30, a researcher at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, and Yi So-yeon, 28, who is working on a Ph.D. at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

• Experiments to Be Key Part of Mission
  
• Yi to Boost Women's Self-Esteem
  
• Ko San Vows to Fulfill His Space Dream

posted 09-04-2007 01:03 AM               

Either Soyeon Yi or Ko San will be named as Korea's choice to join the crew of Soyuz TMA-12 currently due to launch on 8th April 2008.

posted 09-04-2007 11:43 PM               

South Korea announced that a 30-year-old robotics expert will be the country's first person in space when he flies on a Russian Soyuz capsule to the international space station early next year.

The Ministry of Science and Technology selected Ko San, who works at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, Vice Science Minister Chung Yoon said.

posted 09-07-2007 01:34 PM               

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Jürgen P Esders
Berlin, Germany

International Director (Europe), Space Unit
Vice President, Weltraum Philatelie e. V.

posted 03-09-2008 03:22 PM               

This photo was on Reuters on Friday, Soyeon Yi training with prime crew.

...and today this on a Korean news website.

Signs have appeared that the Korean who is slated to become the first Korean in space, Ko San, will be replaced by his female backup Yi Soyeon.

posted 03-10-2008 08:09 AM               

Press reports in Germany confirm the swap of Korea's first spacefarer: Russia had requested Korea to replace Ko with his backup Yi. According to these reports, Ko was accused of having violated internal training rules.

According to these sources, Ko had allegedly shipped home a training manual by post, and was allegedly caught peeping into a Soyuz pilot's manual.

I always thought curiosity was a precondition for being an explorer, but apparently the So... Russians see it as spying...

------------------
Jürgen P Esders
Berlin, Germany

International Director (Europe), Space Unit
Vice President, Weltraum Philatelie e. V.

posted 03-10-2008 08:47 AM               

The switch would make Yi So-yeon the second Asian woman to go into space, following Chiaki Mukai of Japan who made two trips into orbit in the 1990s.

"The main reason for the change is based on two consecutive violations of training protocol by Ko," said Lee Sang-mok, the head of the ministry's Space Technology Bureau. According to reports, Ko mistakenly sent a mission training manual home along with his personal belongings last September, but it was sent back immediately.

Last month he gained possesion of a spacecraft pilot's instructions that he was not authorized to read. "Ko was aware of the rules and signed an agreement not to break them on entering the program, Lee said.

"Ko, however, will not be penalized for being made the backup astronaut and no changes will be made to his current status as senior researcher at KARI," the expert said.

posted 03-10-2008 09:47 AM               

But, of course, I read it here on collectSPACE first. Thanks Tony

posted 03-10-2008 10:25 AM               

Good. There aren't enough women in the space program! So the other one was caught "spying"?

posted 03-10-2008 12:16 PM               

quote:

---

The switch would make Yi So-yeon the second Asian woman to go into space, following Chiaki Mukai of Japan who made two trips into orbit in the 1990s.

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posted 03-10-2008 01:34 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by cspg:
So the other one was caught "spying"?

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Lee Sang-mok, the head of the South Korean ministry's space technology bureau, considered both of Ko's offending acts as unintentional, but "explained that the Russians regard abiding by the rules as critical since even a small and innocent mistake could lead to serious consequences in space." (Source: Korea Times)

posted 03-10-2008 02:07 PM               

quote:

---

The switch would make Yi So-yeon the second Asian woman to go into space, following Chiaki Mukai of Japan who made two trips into orbit in the 1990s.

---

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Jürgen P Esders
Berlin, Germany

posted 03-10-2008 02:24 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by eurospace:
Last time I checked India and Iran were both in Asia.

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The use of the term varies by country and person, often referring to people from a particular region or subregion of Asia. Though it may be based on residence, it is also often considered a "race" or an "ethnic group".

In the United States, Canada, and Australia, the term refers most commonly to people of predominantly East Asian or Southeast Asian ancestry; however in the United Kingdom and Anglophone Africa, the term refers most commonly to South Asians. In other countries, the term is applied to all people from Asia in general. In the US, however, Middle Eastern and Central Asian people are usually not considered Asian peoples.

posted 03-10-2008 02:59 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
While true, it appears the definition of "Asian" varies based on where you reside.

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After all, Columbus thought he discovered "India" and the "Indians" ...ever since, the rest of the World is fairly tolerant with the geographical perception of those who followed him into this newly discovered continent... and no, we don't consider Americans are "Indians" and thus Asians.

Speaking of which: quite a few members of the Russian cosmonaut corps would qualify as Asian: Salizhan Sharipov from Kyrgyztan, Talgat Musabayev and Tokhtar Aubakirov from Kazakstan. What do with Vladimir Dzhanibekov, of Russian ethnicity, but born in Uzbekistan? Alexander Viktorenko, equally Russian, but born in Kazakstan?

------------------
Jürgen P Esders
Berlin, Germany

posted 03-10-2008 09:15 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Robert:
While true, it appears the definition of "Asian" varies based on where you reside.

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posted 03-11-2008 02:58 PM               

Bizarrely she is now the second female back-up to get an unexpected Soyuz seat just before a mission. Iranian-American woman Anousheh Ansari replaced Japanese space tourist Daisuke Enomoto at the last minute when he failed a medical in 2006.

posted 03-11-2008 06:25 PM               

At NASA, every crewmember is given complete training in the Flight Data File, whether they are responsible for a task or not. It helps the crew work better as a team, and it also promotes confidence and safety. The FDF is posted online for the interested public as well.

posted 03-12-2008 01:06 AM               

Maybe the Russians do not want their "trade secrets" to be accessed by everybody, especially emerging space countries. Beside if you agree to fly aboard a Russian spacecraft and that you agree to abide by their rules, you stick to those rules or you have no place being there. He learnt it the hard way but I don't feel sorry for him. And I don't see where the flaw is. (of course that's based upon the information we have- there may be other "behind the scenes" events that took place and that we're not aware of; but if that's the reason (ie. trade/tech secrets, it's understandable; selling an Airbus A320 assembly line to the Chinese is not).

True the Russians may seem to be somewhat "paranoid" but, frankly, the "Wall" came down less than 20 years ago and you expect that almost 45 years of "cold war" being washed away just like that? Yesterday we were enemies (were we?) and suddenly overnight we're long-time buddies (are we?). Yeah right. Note, the same thing applies to Europe: you don't wash away centuries of history simply because you've decided to do so (ie. create a single "united" Europe by signing treaties). It's going to take time. A lot of time. Just my thoughts.

posted 03-20-2008 03:53 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Philip:
About time for the official crewphoto!

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posted 04-24-2008 11:09 PM               

Korea's first astronaut Yi So-yeon will return home early next week after completing her medical checkup and undergoing reassimilation training to normal gravity conditions, the government said Friday.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said Yi and backup astronaut Ko San will arrive early Monday morning at Incheon International Airport.

Yi is expected to visit Education and Science Minister Kim Doh-yeon and hold a press conference and take part in various symposiums.

The 29-year-old bio-systems engineer is expected to visit the United Nations in early June to deliver the UN flag to the secretary general.

posted 04-29-2008 09:46 AM               

South Korea's first astronaut, Yi So-yeon, will cancel her entire schedule to rest and undergo medical tests, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) said Monday.

Korea's first astronaut Yi So-yeon was undergoing thorough medical examinations at an Air Force hospital due to the shock she suffered during her rough landing.

She was hospitalized at the Aerospace Medical Institution in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, Tuesday morning. Her original schedule, including a meeting with the science minister, was postponed indefinitely.

"We don't think she has any major health problems. But we have to wait for the results to decide on her schedule," said Jung Gyeong-taek, a manager at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

Arriving at Incheon International Airport Monday morning, Yi looked exhausted and unwell, though she spoke in clear voice and smiled occasionally. The 29-year-old frowned and groaned when hugged by her enthusiastic mother, complaining that the pain in her back has not subsided.

"It seems that she received a shock to her neck, shoulders and back when she landed," Colonel Jung Gi-young was quoted as saying by the Munhwa Ilbo daily. He has been attending to Yi and Ko San, the backup astronaut, ever since they were selected for the space program. "X-rays showed that there are no broken bones. But we need to do more examinations to see whether she strained her muscles or nerves."

posted 05-02-2008 06:16 PM            

Now it seems she suffered damage to her spine! Why was this not detected at Star City by the Russian space programme's own doctors, I wonder?

I was also surprised to read that Peggy Whitson was quite dismissive, almost patronisingly, of Yi's account of the TMA-11 ballistic entry.

posted 05-14-2008 10:00 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by issman1:
Would Yi be the first spaceflyer to have suffered physical injury as a result of spaceflight?

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Cosmonaut Boris Volynov broke teeth during his very hard Soyuz 5 landing. I believe Vasily Lazarev and Oleg Makarov suffered some relatively minor injuries as a result of the Soyuz 18 aborted launch and subsequent landing near the Sino-Soviet border in 1975.

Those are the ones that come to mind.

posted 05-14-2008 11:02 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Issman1:
Would Yi be the first spaceflyer to have suffered physical injury as a result of spaceflight?

---

After ejection from her spacecraft, Valentina Tereshkova was struck on the face by a small piece of metal, making a small cut and bruise on her face.

posted 05-17-2008 01:23 AM               

Astronaut candidate Ko San said Friday that he didn't understand his sudden replacement in March on Korea's first mission to the International Space Station, and intimated that some spy agencies had meddled in the process.