NASA announced on Aug. 27, 2026, that astronaut Jonny Kim's final day at the agency was that Thursday, after nearly a decade of service. The agency said he would continue serving as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy and return to active duty to finish the remainder of his military career within naval aviation training.

Kim launched to the International Space Station in April 2025 aboard Soyuz MS-27 as a flight engineer for Expeditions 72/73. NASA said he orbited Earth 3,920 times, traveled nearly 104 million miles and contributed to research in technology development, Earth science, biology and human research. During the second half of Expedition 73 he served as U.S. Operating Segment lead, and he commanded the Canadarm2 robotic arm during the first capture of Northrop Grumman's new Cygnus XL spacecraft, securing 11,000 pounds of supplies. He and his Roscosmos crewmates landed in Kazakhstan in December 2025.

Kim was selected as an astronaut in 2017. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and Johnson Space Center director Vanessa Wyche credited his scientific and operational contributions, while Astronaut Office chief Scott Tingle cited his medical training and operational experience. Kim said serving NASA had been "the honor of a lifetime." A former Navy SEAL and physician, he earned a mathematics degree from the University of San Diego and a doctor of medicine from Harvard Medical School.