The Korean government has chosen who is going to be the first Korean to launch into space:
South Korea announced Wednesday that a 30-year-old expert in artificial intelligence 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.
Ko, who has a master’s degree in artificial intelligence from the elite Seoul National University, beat out Yi Soo-yeon, a 29-year-old female mechanical engineer, following performance and other tests during their training in Russia. [CNN]
The Russian government is charging $30 million to put people into space, thus the question I pose is Ko really Korea’s first astronaut or it’s first space tourist? I’m leaning more towards space tourist myself.
Popularity: 3%
9:11 am on September 7th, 2007 1
Is he also an expert in kim-chi so he can follow how it’s wholesome, healing atoms change in space?
7:07 pm on September 7th, 2007 2
He will surely miss his homeland, and it’s four distict seasons.
But I think I’d give him the astronaut, or in this case cosmonaut (kosmonavt) might be more appropriate as he will train with the Russians and launch in a soyuz. He does have a high power science degree. I wonder if he will do any work up there? If he does just look out the window I guess the tourist tag would stick.
I wonder what the other space folk will think of the ISS smelling like kimchi, assuming he takes it along?
10:07 pm on September 7th, 2007 3
Hopefully there are no fans in his sleeping compartment - could be the first Korean to die of fan death in space.
6:22 am on September 8th, 2007 4
The Korean government is having a contest where children can submit what experiments they want him to do in space. All the prior space tourists the Russians have sent up all did the same training he is with the Russians. The Russians do not simply send a person up for $30 million, the person still has to complete their basic training to ensure it is safe for them to go to space.
I say he is a tourist because many other nationalities have competed and had people go into space with NASA and many other international astronauts are still on flight duty today:
http://www11.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/astrobio_international.html
The Japanese have seven astronauts on duty today. Brazil even has an astronaut currently. Why doesn’t Korea send candidates to compete to become a real NASA astronaut like the Japanese do?
5:31 pm on September 8th, 2007 5
Not that I am trying to discount the academic and professional accomplishments of Ko San …
… but this whole 1st Korean Astronaut (Tourist) business is just another shining example of the Korean Government’s long history of using money to buy image and status without any lasting results or serious investment commitments.
Let’s review …
- IMF and the follow-on Credit Debt crisis (let the banks loan money like crazy so every Korean can live to the max, but ignore the bills will come due someday)
- 1st Inter-Korea Summit (lots of bribe money under the table without results)
- Dasan Unit in Afghanistan (ransom money and flag waiving that has only led to disgrace)
- Zaytun Unit in Iraq (an even more expensive and futile version of Korean operations in Afghanistan)
- 2nd Inter-Korea Summit (the price of this enormous debacle is still to be determined)
- And of course … the US/ROK Alliance (pay face value costs but hold back on real investment needs)
As someone who has lived in Korea for many years and worked in the aerospace industry for some time, I can tell you that toying with rocket science (especially manned space flight) requires serious investment capital.
The Japanese are serious about it, and that is why they have poured billions into the Space Shuttle and ISS programs. The Chinese are serious about it, and that is why they paid the costs to start their own manned program.
The Korean Government just wants someone to waive the ROK flag in space, so they can fool Koreans into thinking that Korea is on par with Japan’s and China’s space program.
7:49 pm on September 8th, 2007 6
Jax,
I think you have explained quite well why he is in fact a government sponsored space tourist and not an astronaut.
12:20 am on September 10th, 2007 7
Jax,
Damn good points all.
Richardson,
I do worry about the fan:)
2:13 am on September 12th, 2007 8
While I am on a role …
… I predict that KBS will cover the Korean astronaut (tourist) space launch with the following lead storyline:
“Today, Ko San, the first Korean space pioneer, rocketed into space with 2 Russian associates. This glorious event confirms Korea’s status as a major space power.”
… So no matter how KBS actually ends up covering the story, you can expect the following themes:
- Expect lots of ROK flag waiving space video
- Russian involvement will be minimized (even though they are running the whole show)
- This whole affair is somehow tied to “Sparkling” Korea now being at the forefront of the space industry
Also, KBS might even try to include a snide remark against the Japanese, ie, “this successful launch confirms that Korea is on the rise, while other nations, like Japan, continue to suffer spacecraft failures.” (Note: A Japanese satellite recently failed in orbit, and this particular failure event has caused some problems for Japan’s space agency.)
Oh well, maybe the Korean Government will next try to pay the Russians to fly the Korean B-Boys into space !!!
9:54 am on November 24th, 2007 9
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