Country's Manned Space Program Effectively Ended By The Move

When your manned space program has only one astronaut, it's a pretty devastating blow when that astronaut decides to pursue other career options. And that's just what happened last week in South Korea.

The only astronaut in the country's manned program, Yi So-yeon (pictured), said in a letter she was stepping down "for personal reasons," according to a report from local sources relayed by ABC Radio News. Yi was selected from among 36,000 applicants to be the first Korean astronaut, and the government shelled out $20 million to Russia for her seat aboard a Soyuz spacecraft to the ISS in April, 2008. She spent 11 days on the stations.

Since returning to Earth Yi has participated in programs designed to inspire students. She also returned to school herself, enrolling in the University of California Berkley's Haas School of Business in 2010, where she began work on an MBA.

Yi did not say specifically why she quit the program ... but for now, there are no astronauts in South Korea.

(Image provided by NASA)

FMI: http://global.jaxa.jp/article/interview/2012/vol70/index_e.html