Korea: Coming to space

The Ministry of Science and Technology and the Korean Space Research Institute on December 25 selected the last two to send to Russia for training, preparing to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2008.

Harsh tests

Ko San (left) and Yi So Yeon in astronaut costumes.(Photo: TP)

They are Ko San, 30, a researcher at Samsung High-Tech Institute and Ms. Yi So Yeon, 28, a graduate student at the Korea Advanced Science Institute.

Ko San and Yi So Yeon surpassed 36,206 people, after many tests from April to July. Both had to undergo rigorous training and testing at the Gagarin Astronaut Training Center in March. 2007 to select only one person to honor the Soyuz spacecraft (Peace).

This Korean astronaut will stay in ISS for 7 to 8 days before returning to Earth. In Russia, Ko San and Yi So Yeon also have to learn Russian to exchange with Russian experts and astronauts.

Ko San and Yi So Yeon were selected through the final challenge with four other candidates with a quick response to the jury of experts on various fields that were broadcast live.

This challenge is aimed at assessing the reasoning ability and quick response of the person who will be the ambassador of the Korean space program. Before that, they had to undergo many tests of ability, physical, quick reflexes, weightless exercise and working with foreign astronauts .

50-50 opportunity for women

The program to bring Korean people to ISS is a joint project between Korea and Russia, starting in 2004, with a total cost of 18 billion won (US $ 19 million).Since the first astronaut Gagarin flew into space on April 12, 1961, there have been a total of 456 astronauts from 34 countries flying into space.

After being chosen, Ko stated, the main reason for bringing people to space is to help develop Korea's space industry.'A human flight can boost the space industry to new heights with a range of knowledge acquired through flight,' Ko said, adding that he is willing to share his knowledge through flight. fly with everyone.

Ms. Yi said that taking a Korean person to space is different from the experience of other astronauts and that if she is chosen to go to space, she will see firsthand the interesting things on it, will also conduct experiments on electromechanics and computer memory - the field she is studying.

'No matter who is chosen to go to space, the training process will be important and should be shared , ' Yi said. She added that she is grateful to those who have chosen the female candidate and this will be an opportunity for her to prove the character of Korean women. Yi is also a great taekwondo fighter.