Space explorers need grit, strength, and determination to navigate harsh extraterrestrial environments. This may explain why approximately 60% of NASA’s astronauts come from military service. Few people have medical experience. And Johnny Kim is one of fewer than a dozen people in NASA history who share both careers. He flew more than 100 combat operations as a Navy SEAL in Iraq, then graduated from Harvard Medical School, followed by an internship in emergency medicine with astronaut training, surprising his colleagues. Kim describes herself as someone who is “drawn to chaos” and applied to join the astronaut corps almost on a whim, although she “didn’t think I’d get in.” But of course he did. Next March, he will embark on the first-ever spaceflight, an eight-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS), along with Russian cosmonauts Sergei Ryzhikov and Alexei Zubritsky.
scientific american We spoke with Kim about pre-launch planning, similarities between his work as an astronaut and his past career, his winding path to NASA, and more.
(An edited transcript of the interview follows:. )
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How does it feel to go to space? Do you have a long list of things to do while you’re still on Earth?
People often ask me if I’m excited, but that’s not the feeling for me. While I’m looking forward to the trip and excited to finally be able to contribute to the mission, I’m not particularly excited or nervous about the launch. There are several reasons for that. One is probably my lack of experience. However, this is also just my personality; the older I get, the more flat I tend to react to life events.
I have a bucket list, but it’s not something I’m as passionate about as administrative or logistics tasks. The gasket on our back door is leaking and needs to be replaced. I was planning to pour concrete for (the construction of) an outdoor shed. I need to replace my car’s tire pressure monitor sensor. I’m a big DIYer, so I like to do a lot of things myself, and the list could go on and on.
That’s interesting. The last time I felt this way was before my first son was born. I felt the need to prepare the nest. Make your home baby-safe by putting up wallpaper and making a crib. Now I am leaving my family and since then my family has grown so I would like to settle my family as I will be away for most of the year.
How do your children feel about this mission?
I have three children of varying ages and each responds differently depending on their level of maturity. The 13-year-old thinks it’s cool, but there are so many other things to think about at that age. He realizes that it’s going to be pretty hard on my wife while I’m gone, and he feels a responsibility to act around the house. I’m away from Houston (for training) 45-50% of the time, so I’ve already seen some of that. The other two (ages 7 and 9) are anxious about the launch and not being able to see me.
What do you think is the most difficult thing about getting used to space?
There is a phrase that I was often told growing up. “You don’t know what you don’t know.” I love this phrase. Because this phrase has a sense of humility. I have never been in microgravity for a long time, so I think getting used to it will be the most difficult thing. There are the daily logistics of just getting from point A to point B, using the bathroom, and eating in a new environment. But I also think a lot of the challenge is staying connected to the people I love and care about on Earth. Here at NASA, we can do amazing things in the name of science and space exploration. But at the end of the day, we’re all just normal people with families and home obligations. Therefore, it may not be the work itself that is most rewarding. I think that’s very regular and normal. I am definitely a creature of habit, so I end up staying busy, productive, and in a happy place.
What kind of experiments do you help with on the ISS? Is there a particular scientific question you’d most like answered?
Many types of science are conducted on the ISS, from fluidics to combustion research to bone health experiments. In other words, we humans are part of a big scientific experiment. Astronauts help with various experiments, but we don’t necessarily get to see each experiment from start to finish. We are trained in multiple skills, so we can be plug-and-play jack-of-all-trades in the field, from plumbers and mechanics to space walkers and lab technicians. Because any astronaut can perform some of the steps, the steps change frequently.
All experiments are interesting. I’m most intrigued by things that examine the human body, not only because I’m interested in physiology, but also because the answers have implications for our future as space explorers. If we are to venture deep into our solar system or beyond, we need to know how space, with its radiation and microgravity, affects the human body and how we can counteract the negative effects. There will be.
How do you think your experience working as a Navy SEAL and a doctor influenced your work as an astronaut?
For me, the technical point of view is not the most important. What’s important is the human aspect. These two professions prepared me to be a good team player and taught me how to communicate, using not only “hard” skills but also “soft” skills to unite a team toward a common goal. taught me how to do it. These are skill sets that you learn as a team working on really difficult problems. That’s why when you look at NASA’s selection, a lot of people have a history of working successfully in that type of environment. A degree (from Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and experience with fluid engineering research projects are great, but they alone don’t make a good astronaut. It’s about people, the heart, and being a team player.
What made you decide to change jobs?
In fact, I refused to go to medical school as a child. My father wanted me to become a doctor, but I was against it and was very rebellious. So my path was very natural and not planned at all.
The only thing I was planning on doing was becoming a SEAL. That was my first real dream. After becoming a SEAL, I realized that there is so much to do in the world and that the obstacles to achieving my goals are not as difficult as I thought. I went through many extreme life situations before I figured it out, and it was 180 degrees different from what I believed as a child. I believed there were many things I couldn’t do and that they weren’t for people like me. Now, there are glass ceilings and challenges along the way, but I’ve learned that with persistence, you can change the world and achieve what you truly want. That’s what I learned from the SEAL team and it became the basis for everything I did from then on.
My original inspiration for becoming a SEAL was to be a warrior, but I have since changed my definition of what that means. To me, a warrior is someone who continually pursues excellence in their craft, whether it be military, business, or medicine. More important are norms and discipline. And I always wanted to help people. So while many people may see the choices I’ve made in my career as separate, for me they’ve always been pursuing the same goal. I don’t think I’ve actually changed careers more than three times. I just used a different vehicle to accomplish what I’m passionate about.
What does “someone like me” mean?
I think it’s human psychology to look for evidence of people you can empathize with. It’s easy to focus on the color of our skin or our race. But for me it’s so much more than that. It can also be a creed. There are many things that can help you connect with someone who is doing something. Seeing them changes your unconscious perception of what is possible. I didn’t know any astronauts who looked like me. The idea that I could become an astronaut never once crossed my mind. So is being a SEAL. I didn’t have much confidence, and I didn’t have big dreams. For me, having a dream is the most important element in any kind of success. We often talk about discipline and hard work, but the first seed is inspiration. I didn’t grow up with that.
So why in particular did you want to become a “warrior”?
Because that was all I didn’t have at the time. A warrior is brave. They venture into the unknown even though they are afraid. They are disciplined. Those are all great points and still make me think about them. In my youth, I applied that “warrior” code to combat military environments, but that aspect applies to all aspects of life.
Where did your interest in medicine come from?
It’s a series of coincidental events. You’re 18 years old, hungry to get out, and waiting is exhausting. The Navy told me that if I wanted to enlist as soon as possible, I needed to become a hospital corpsman. In the Navy, this is a medic. I wanted to do another job that sounded cooler, but I just didn’t want to wait around. And so, through fate, good fortune, bad luck – I don’t know what to call it – I became a member of the hospital team. What I didn’t know as an 18-year-old kid was that all the work you do before you become a SEAL is irrelevant unless you’re a hospital corpsman. In that case, you become a SEAL medic. That led me to specialize in combat medicine. I went on to deploy and had the good fortune to work with my teammates as well as civilians. And after a lot of trauma and combat experience, I became very tired of war. But I never got tired of helping people. When my friends were injured, I did everything I could to save them, but ultimately needed help from a higher level caretaker. Becoming a doctor felt like an obvious choice.
Have you ever been in an emergency room environment that vaguely reminded you of a war situation? I’d like to know if there’s anything you liked about that environment or something you wanted to take home with you.
I’m definitely drawn to chaos. I’m also quite impatient. My wife likes to call me “baby now.” I don’t like waiting. I can’t think of a better place than an emergency room for sick people to go for (immediate) help. If you think about it from a density or per capita perspective, as an emergency room physician, you can make the most contribution in a given period of time. It was very satisfying to be able to help people when they were most in need. You are making a huge impact on people’s lives.
While you were in medical school, you met Scott Parazynski, a doctor and astronaut. Was he the one who inspired you to apply for training at NASA?
For many years I felt that space was the pinnacle of what humans could do. Scott planted a seed in my head and instilled in me the confidence to fly. However, it wasn’t just one thing, it was a combination of many things. I applied while I was moving in, and although I didn’t think I would get in, I ended up getting in.
Does it come from a place of wanting to keep trying things you don’t know if you can do or not, or does it come from a feeling that this challenge is more appealing than others?
My personal or selfish side is always trying to push myself. I love the concept of lifelong learning. I think the best label is “student.” I don’t want to be labeled as a “master.” Because it means you’re closing off your ability to learn new things. But the bigger motivator is what kind of impact it can have on my life. I think we all, as humans, want our lives to be meaningful. All life is short. I want to make the biggest positive impact possible, so it’s great to work in teams with people from different backgrounds and solve difficult problems. I can’t think of anything better.
