Yi So-yeon
| Yi So-yeon | |
|---|---|
.JPG) |
|
| KAP Astronaut | |
| Nationality | South Korean |
| Born |
June 2, 1978 Gwangju, South Korea |
|
Other occupation
|
Researcher |
|
Time in space
|
10 d 21 h |
| Selection | 2006 South Korean program |
| Missions | Soyuz TMA-12, Soyuz TMA-11 |
|
Mission insignia
|
 
|
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 이소연 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 李素妍 |
| Revised Romanization | I So-yeon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Yi Soyŏn |
| IPA: [i sʰojʌn] | |
Yi So-yeon (born June 2, 1978) is a biotechnologist and astronaut who became the first Korean to fly in space.
Yi So-yeon was born to father Yi Gil-soo and mother Jeong Geum-soon and raised in Gwangju, South Korea.
Yi studied at Gwangju Science High School. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees with a focus on mechanics at 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. In 2010, she enrolled in the MBA program at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley
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.
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. 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. 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.
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