|
Yi So Yeon (above), 29, a biosystems engineering student, will now blast off on April 8 in a Russian-made Soyuz rocket, replacing 30-year-old male computer engineer Ko San on the US$27-million (S$37.4 million) space flight. -- PHOTO: AP
|
SEOUL - SOUTH Korea on Monday chose a woman to be its first astronaut in a late change after Russia's space authorities said the man initially selected for next month's mission had breached training rules.
Yi So Yeon, 29, a biosystems engineering student, will now blast off on April 8 in a Russian-made Soyuz rocket, replacing 30-year-old male computer engineer Ko San on the US$27-million (S$37.4 million) space flight.
'The glory of becoming South Korea's first astronaut goes to a woman,' Lee Sang Mok, a senior South Korean official handling the space project, told a news conference.
Mr Ko and Ms Yi have been training in Russia since last year, but officials there have complained Mr Ko took training manuals out of the space training centre without permission in 'repeated breaches of training protocol.' 'In space, a very tiny mistake could cause a big trouble,' Mr Lee said.
Seoul had decided to accept Russia's recommendation to switch Ms Yi and Mr Ko, who will now stay on the ground and assist Yi's mission, which includes conducting various experiments in space, Mr Lee said.
Ms Yi is scheduled to return to earth on April 19 after conducting experiments at the International Space Station, he added.
South Korea will become the 36th country to put a person into space since Russia sent Yuri Gagarin into orbit in 1961.
South Korea announced last year an ambitious plan to launch its own lunar orbiter by 2020 and send a probe to the moon five years after that. -- AFP
|
