Yi So-yeon

Infobox Astronaut
name = Yi So-yeon


type = KAP Astronaut
nationality = South Korean
date_birth = birth date and age|1978|06|02
place_birth = Gwangju, South Korea
occupation = Researcher
rank =
selection = 2006 South Korean program
time = 10 d 21 h
mission = Soyuz TMA-12, Soyuz TMA-11
insignia = Infobox Korean name
title = Korean name
hangul = 이소연
hanja = 李炤燕
rr = I Soyeon
mr = I So-yŏn
text = pronounced|i sojʌn
tablewidth = 231
color = #ffdead

Yi So-yeon (born June 2 1978) is a South Korean scientist and Ph.D. graduate of KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology). On April 8 2008, she became the first Korean [cite news|title=한국 최초 우주인 이소연과 그 동료들|url=http://news.joins.com/article/3104212.html?ctg=12 |author=바이코누르 |publisher=Yonhap news hosed by JungAng Ilbo|date=2008-04-08|language=Korean] and the second Asian woman (defined as a female resident of a country in Asia at the time of her spaceflight) [ [http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2008/04/133_22148.html Yi Blasts Off Into Space ] ] to fly in space, after Chiaki Mukai.

Biography

Yi So-yeon was born to father Yi Gil-soo and mother Jeong Geum-soon and raised in Gwangju, South Korea. [ [http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2008/04/117_22139.html Astronaut Gives Dream to Youth] , "The Korea Times" 04-08-2008 - Kim Rahn]

Yi studied at Gwangju Science High School. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees with a focus on mechanics at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon. Her doctorate in biotech systems was conferred on 29 February 2008 in a ceremony at KAIST although she was unable to be present due to her training commitments in Russia.

Korean Astronaut Program

Yi was one of the two finalists chosen on 25 December 2006 through the Korean Astronaut Program. On 5 September 2007, the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology chose Ko San, over Yi So-yeon, following performance and other tests during their training in Russia.cite web |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/04/asia/AS-GEN-SKorea-Astronaut.php |title=South Korea to announce its first astronaut |work=International Herald Tribune |author=Associated Press |date=2007-09-04 |accessdate=2008-03-10] cite web |url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/space/5108147.html |title=South Korea taps robotics expert as 1st astronaut |work=Houston Chronical |first=Sangwon |last=Yoon |date=2007-09-04 |accessdate=2008-03-10]

On 7 March 2008, she was selected to train with the primary crew, and on 10 March the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology announced that Yi would replace Ko. This was after the Russian Federal Space Agency asked for a replacement because Ko violated regulations several times at a Russian training center by removing sensitive reading materials and mailing one back to Korea. [cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/library/news/2008/space-080310-voa02.htm|title=South Korea Will Send Woman Into Space|publisher=globalsecurity.org|date=2008-03-10|accessdate=2008-04-08] [cite web|url=http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/080310-southkorea-astronaut-switch.html|title=South Korea Switches to Backup for First Astronaut Flight|publisher=space.com|date=2008-03-10|accessdate=2008-04-08] [cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/10/korea.astronaut.ap/index.html |title=S. Korea names woman as first astronaut |work=CNN.com |author=Associated Press |date=2008-03-10 |accessdate=2008-03-10] [cite web |url=http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2008031034368 |title=1st Korean Astronaut Could Be a Woman |work=Dong-A Ilbo |date=2008-03-10 |accessdate=2008-03-10] On 8 April 2008, Yi was launched into space on board Soyuz TMA-12, with two Russian cosmonauts. South Korea is reported to have paid Russia $20 Million for Yi's space flight. [cite web|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080421/ap_on_sc/russia_space;_ylt=AiVI1RLZfoaZWduDsXQpP8txieAA|title=Yi describes frightening return to Earth|publisher=yahoo.com|date=2008-04-21|accessdate=2008-04-22] She makes South Korea the third country, after the United Kingdom and Iran, to have a woman as its first space traveler.

Terminology

Flying as a guest of the Russian government through a commercial agreement with South Korea, Yi's role aboard Soyuz and the ISS is referred to as a spaceflight participant ( _ru. "uchastnik kosmicheskovo poleta") in Russian Federal Space Agency and NASA documents and press briefings. [cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition17/index.html|title=Expedition 17|accessdate=2008-04-09|publisher=NASA]

Mission

During her mission, Yi So-yeon carried out 18 science experiments for KARI and conducted interviews and discussions with media. In particular, she took with her 1,000 fruit flies in a special air-conditioned container box (Konkuk University experiment). She monitored the way the changes in gravity and other environmental conditions alter the behaviour of the flies, or their genome. Other experiments involved the growth of plants in space, the study of the behaviour of her heart, and the effects of gravity change on the pressure in her eye and shape of her face. With a specially designed three-dimensional Samsung camera, Yi took six shots of her face every day to see how it swells in the different gravity. She also observed the Earth, and in particular the movement of dust storms from China to Korea. [ [http://voanews.com/english/2008-04-08-voa28.cfm South Korea's First Woman Astronaut Lifts Off Into Space] "Voice of America" - Kurt Achin] She will also measure the noise levels on board the ISS. [ [http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/techscience/2008/04/08/28/0601000000AEN20080408005600320F.HTML Astronaut tests aimed at enhancing space science, biotech] "Yonhap News" April 8]

South Korean scientists created a special low-calorie and vitamin-rich version of kimchi for Yi. [cite web |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/22/asia/kimchi.php|title=Kimchi goes into space, along with first Korean astronaut|work=Choe Sang-Hun|date=2008-02-22|accessdate=2008-04-09|publisher=International_Herald_Tribune]

Return flight

At the end of the mission, Yi returned to Earth along with ISS crew members Peggy Whitson and Yuri Malenchenko aboard Soyuz TMA-11, on April 19, 2008. The craft followed a ballistic re-entry, which typically subjects the crew to extreme force. The re-entry into Earth's atmosphere was a steeper than usual descent, thus subjecting the crew to severe gravitational forces at up to 10 times the amount experienced on Earth. As a result of the re-entry, the TMA-11 craft used in the return flight landed mi to km|260 off-course from its target in Kazakhstan. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080421/ap_on_sc/russia_space;_ylt=AiVI1RLZfoaZWduDsXQpP8txieAA] All three survived, although requiring observation by medical personnel. [ [http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/04/19/skorea.soyuz/index.html Soyuz crew endures severe G-forces on re-entry - CNN.com ] ]

Yi was hospitalized after her return to Korea due to severe back pains caused by the rough return voyage [ [http://au.biz.yahoo.com/080429/17/1pwkn.html S. KOREA'S FIRST ASTRONAUT HOSPITALIZED AFTER ROUGH LANDING] ] .

Post-flight

After her flight, Yi works as a researcher at KARI as well as acting as Korea's space ambassador, together with Ko San. She will also receive income from future TV commercials. [cite news |author=Cho Jin-seo |title=Yi Ready for Blasting Off Into Space |url=http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2008/04/133_22151.html |work=The Korea Times |date=2008-04-08 |accessdate=2008-04-09] On 4th October 2008, Dr Yi launched the International Institute of Space Commerce, at a ceremony held in Douglas, Isle of Man [ [http://www.manxradio.com/readNEwsItem.aspx?id=26410 ] ]

See also

* Korean Astronaut Program
* Korea Aerospace Research Institute
* Timeline of space travel by nationality
* ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station)

References

External links

* [http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/international/english/lee_so-hyun.htm "Spacefacts" biography of Yi So-yeon]
* [http://www.seoulglow.com/ A series of interviews with Seoul Glow]

Persondata
NAME=Yi So-yeon
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Astronaut
DATE OF BIRTH=June 2, 1978
PLACE OF BIRTH=Gwangju, South Korea
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=