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Yi So-yeon

South Korean - (KAP)

Retired

Date of Birth: June 2, 1978
Age: 47


Yi So-yeon (born June 2, 1978) is an astronaut and biotechnologist who became the first Korean to fly in space. Yi was one of the two finalists chosen on December 25, 2006 through the Korean Astronaut Program. On September 5, 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. On March 7, 2008, she was selected to train with the primary crew, and on March 10 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. On April 8, 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. She is the third woman, after Helen Sharman of the United Kingdom and Anousheh Ansari an Iranian American, to be the first national from their country in space.

Soyuz-FG | Soyuz TMA-11

Progress Rocket Space Center | Russia
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
Oct. 10, 2007, 1:22 p.m.
Status: Success
Mission:

Soyuz TMA-11 begins Expedition 16 by carrying 3 astronauts and cosmonauts to the International Space Station. Russian Commander, cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko alongside Flight Engineers, Peggy Whitson (NASA) & Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor (National Space Agency of Malaysia) will launch aboard the Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and then rendezvous with the station. It landed on April 19, 2008, 08:30 UTC

Low Earth Orbit
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Soyuz-FG | Soyuz TMA-12

Progress Rocket Space Center | Russia
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
April 8, 2008, 11:16 a.m.
Status: Success
Mission:

Soyuz TMA-12 begins Expedition 17 by carrying 3 astronauts and cosmonauts to the International Space Station. Russian Commander, cosmonaut Sergei Volkov alongside Flight Engineers, Oleg Kononenko (RSA) & Yi So-Yeon (KAP - Korean Astronaut Program) will launch aboard the Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and then rendezvous with the station. It landed on October 24, 2008, 03:37 UTC

Low Earth Orbit
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The Korean Astronaut Program was an initiative by the South Korean government to send the first Korean into space via the Russian space program. In 2008, Yi So-yeon became the first and only Korean to go to space for 10 days.


Kinetica 1
Success
10 hours, 8 minutes ago
5 satellites
Launch Area 130 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Share-ride of 5 satellites to sun-synchronous orbit: * Taijing-3-05A/B * Tianyi-50 * Tianyan-27 * Jilin-1 HR-03D-55


Zhuque-2E Block 2
Success
1 day, 11 hours ago
Mass Simulator
Launch Area 96A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

2.8 tonnes Mass Simulator launched to a 900 km polar orbit on a test flight proving further upgrades to the ZQ-2E, including a longer 1st stage and e…


Long March 6A
Success
3 days, 2 hours ago
SpaceSail Polar Group 09
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

18 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies with…


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 12 hours ago
NROL-172
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Thirteenth batch of satellites for a reconnaissance satellite constellation built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Offi…


Long March 7
Success
4 days, 14 hours ago
Tianzhou-10
201 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

Ninth cargo delivery mission to the Chinese space station.