Space explorers need passion, strength and determination to navigate the hostile environments beyond Earth. This may explain why about 60 percent of NASA astronauts come from the military. A smaller fraction has had medical experience. And Jonny Kim is among less than a dozen in NASA history who share both backgrounds. After serving in more than 100 combat operations as a Navy SEAL in Iraq, he graduated from Harvard Medical School and then impressed his peers by continuing his emergency medicine practice with astronaut training. Kim, who described himself as “someone drawn to chaos,” made the request to the astronaut corps almost on a whim, “not expecting to get in.” But of course he did. And next March, he will launch alongside Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky on his first space flight, an eight-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
American scientific He spoke with Kim about his pre-launch plans, his work as an astronaut and his past career, and his tortuous path to NASA.
(Following is an edited transcript of the interview.)
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How do you feel about going to space? Still have a long list of things to do while you’re on Earth?
They ask me a little bit if I’m excited, but that’s not the emotion I give. I’m looking forward to the journey, and I’d say I’m excited to finally contribute to the mission, but I don’t feel particularly excited or anxious about launching it. That’s for a couple of reasons. One is probably my inexperience. But it’s also just my personality: the older I get, the flatter my response to life’s events.
I have a wish list, but the items aren’t things I’m really passionate about other than administrative or logistical tasks. The back door seal in our house is leaking and needs to be replaced. I wanted to pour concrete for (building) outdoor sheds. My car’s tire pressure monitor sensor needs to be replaced. I’m a DIY enthusiast, so I like to make a lot of things, and I could go on and on about that list of things.
It’s interesting; The last time I felt it was before our first son was born. I felt I had to have the nest ready: the wallpaper up, the crib made and the house ready for the babies. Now I’m leaving my family, and it’s grown since then, so I want to settle them down because I’ll be gone for a large part of the year.
How do your children feel about the mission?
I have three children of different ages, and each has a different response depending on their level of maturity. The 13-year-old thinks it’s cute, but at that age he has a lot of other things to think about. He recognizes that, in my absence, it will be quite difficult for my wife and he feels the responsibility to make progress at home. And I’ve seen some of that because I’ve been out of Houston (for practices) about 45 to 50 percent of the time. The other two, who are seven and nine, have some anxiety about starting and missing me.
What do you imagine you will have the hardest time adjusting to in the space?
There is a common phrase that I grew up with: “You don’t know what you don’t know”. I love that phrase because it allows for some humility. I’ve never been in a microgravity environment for any length of time, so I imagine that will be the hardest part to get used to. There are the daily logistics of getting from point A to point B or using the bathroom or eating in a new environment. But I also think a lot of the challenges would be maintaining relationships with the people I love and care for on Earth. Here at NASA we do incredible things in the name of science and space exploration. But at the end of the day, we’re all just people: regular humans with families and responsibilities at home. So the hardest part might not be the work itself, I think it will feel very regular and normal. I’m definitely a creature of habit, so I’ll be in my happy place, being busy and productive.
What experiments are you helping with on the ISS? And are there specific scientific questions you most want answered?
There are so many different kinds of science on the ISS: from fluidics to combustion research to bone health experiments. I mean, as human subjects, we’re part of a big science experiment. Astronauts contribute to various experiments, but we may not necessarily see (every one of them) from start to finish. We’re trained in multiple skills, which allows us to be plug-and-play and jack-of-all-trades up there: plumbers and mechanics, spacewalkers and lab technicians. Any astronaut can perform any part of a procedure, so it changes often.
All experiments are interesting. Those who study the human body interest me the most, not only because of my interest in physiology but also because their answers affect our future as space explorers. If we’re going to venture far into the solar system, or even pass through it, we’ll need to know what space, with its radiation and microgravity, does to the human body and how we can combat its ill effects.
How do you feel your experiences working as a Navy SEAL or as an astronaut shaped you as a doctor?
For me, the technical approach is the least important aspect. It’s the human side that matters. Both professions trained me to be a good team player and taught me how to communicate, how to use not only “hard” skills, but also “soft” skills to unite the team towards a common goal. These are the skill sets you pick up in a team working on serious problems. So when you look at the NASA selection, a lot of people have a history of working well in those kinds of environments. A degree (from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) or experience in a fluidics research project is nice, but it’s not what makes a good astronaut. It’s about the human — the heart — and being a team member.
What prompted you to make this career change?
As a child, I actually refused to go to medical school. My father wanted me to be a doctor, and I was against it, very rebellious. So my path was very organic, not planned at all.
The only thing I had planned was to become a SEAL. That was my first real dream. And once I became a SEAL, I realized that there was so much to do in the world and that the obstacles to achieving my goals were not as formidable as they seemed. It took me many extreme life situations to realize it, but it was 180 degrees from what I thought as a child. I thought there were a lot of things I couldn’t do that weren’t meant for people like me. Now, there are glass ceilings and challenges along the way, but I’ve learned that with determination you can change the world and achieve what you really want. That’s what I learned from the SEALs, and it’s provided the foundation for everything that’s come since.
My original inspiration for becoming a SEAL was to be a warrior, and since then I have changed the definition of what that means. To me, a warrior is someone who strives for excellence in their craft, whether in the military or business or medicine. Code and discipline are most important. And I’ve always wanted to help people. So while many people see the choices I’ve made in my career differently, to me, they’ve all been looking for the same goal. I don’t think I’ve actually changed my career three times; I’ve used another vehicle to get what I’m keen on.
What do you mean “people like me”?
I think it’s just human psychology to look for evidence that you can relate to someone. It’s easy to focus on the color of our skin, our race. But to me it is more than that. It can be belief. There are many things that can help you connect with someone who is doing something. Seeing them changes your subconscious perception of what is possible. I didn’t know any astronauts who looked like me. The idea that I could be an astronaut never occurred to me. Same with being a SEAL. Besides not having much confidence, I didn’t have much dreams. For me, the dream is the most essential ingredient of any success. We talk a lot about discipline and hard work, but the first seed, essential, is inspiration. I didn’t have that growing up.
And why did you want to be a “warrior” in particular?
Because it was everything I wasn’t at the time. Warriors are brave. Despite their fears, they step out into the unknown. They are disciplined. These are admirable aspects that still make me think. When I was younger, I applied that “warrior” code in a military combat setting, but aspects of it are applicable to any aspect of life.
Where did your interest in medicine come from?
It’s a sequence of crazy events. You’re 18, and you’re hungry to get out, and it’s hard to wait. The army told me that if I wanted to go in as soon as possible, I had to be a hospital corpsman. That’s army lingo for a doctor. I really wanted another job that was nicer, but I didn’t want to wait around. So, by fate, luck, misfortune—I don’t know what to call it—I became a corpse in the hospital. What I didn’t know as an 18-year-old was that all the work you do before you become a SEAL is irrelevant unless it’s a corpse in the hospital. In that case, you become a SEAL doctor. This led me down the path of specializing in combat medicine. I went on deployment and had the good fortune to work not only with team members but with civilians as well. And after many traumas and combat experiences, 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 in the end they needed the help of a higher level caregiver. It seemed like an obvious choice for me, to be a doctor.
Did the emergency environment ever remind you, even vaguely, of the conditions of war? I’m curious if there’s any aspect of that environment that you liked or wanted to carry over.
I am definitely drawn to chaos. I’m pretty impatient too. My wife likes to call her “now” baby. I don’t like waiting, and I can’t think of a better location than an emergency room, where patients go (immediately) to get help. When you think about it from a density or per capita perspective, you get to do the most good over a period of time as an emergency room physician. Helping people in their worst need was very satisfying. You have a big hand in people’s lives.
While in medical school you met a medical astronaut: Scott Parazynski. Has it inspired you to apply to train with NASA?
For many years I felt that space represented the pinnacle of what humans could do. Scott planted a seed in my head and helped me gain some confidence to fly. But it was many things, not just one thing. I applied at the headquarters, I didn’t expect to get in. But then I did.
“I want to keep pushing myself to do things I’m not sure about” or did it come from a feeling that this challenge was more fascinating than other challenges?
My personal or selfish side is always pushing myself. I love the concept of lifelong learning. I think the best label is “student”. I would never want the label “master” because, to me, that means you have shut down your ability to learn new things. The biggest motivation, though, is how I can make an impact on my own life. I believe that as humans, we want our lives to be meaningful. All lives are short. I want to make the most positive impact I can on the largest scale, so working in a team with people from different backgrounds, solving difficult problems, is amazing. I can’t think of anything better.
