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Jonny Kim Leaves NASA for Active Navy Duty

8/28/2026

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Summary

Story summary

U.S. astronaut Jonny Kim is leaving NASA to resume active-duty service as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy.
He departs NASA on Aug. 27, 2026 after nine years with the agency.
Kim spent eight months aboard the ISS in 2025, orbiting Earth 3,920 times and traveling nearly 104 million miles.
He will train in naval aviation as a SEAL-qualified aviator, with over 100 combat missions and a Silver Star.

History

Historical Context

John Glenn’s February 20, 1962 Friendship 7 flight—three Earth orbits covering about 480,000 miles—fulfilled Project Mercury’s goal of putting an American in orbit during the Cold-War Space Race, a program built on military test pilots. Over six decades later, Navy SEAL-turned-astronaut Jonny Kim left NASA on August 27, 2026 to resume his naval career, underscoring the armed forces’ lasting pipeline to U.S. space missions.

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Story summary

U.S. astronaut Jonny Kim is leaving NASA to resume active-duty service as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy.
He departs NASA on Aug. 27, 2026 after nine years with the agency.
Kim spent eight months aboard the ISS in 2025, orbiting Earth 3,920 times and traveling nearly 104 million miles.
He will train in naval aviation as a SEAL-qualified aviator, with over 100 combat missions and a Silver Star.

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