Jonny Kim Leaves NASA for Navy

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim is leaving the agency after nearly a decade of service to return to active duty with the U.S. Navy. His final day at NASA is Thursday, according to an agency release.

Kim spent eight months aboard the International Space Station after launching in April 2025 aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft. As a flight engineer during Expeditions 72 and 73, he completed 3,920 orbits of Earth, traveled nearly 104 million miles and supported research in technology, Earth science, biology and human health.

During the mission, Kim served as the U.S. Operating Segment lead and managed operations across the station’s international modules. He also operated the Canadarm2 robotic arm during the first capture of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft, which delivered 11,000 pounds of supplies. Kim and his crewmates returned to Earth in Kazakhstan in December 2025.

Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017, Kim previously worked in mission control and contributed to Artemis program planning. Before joining NASA, he served as a Navy SEAL, physician, naval aviator and flight surgeon. He will finish his military career in naval aviation training.