Yi So-Yeon
The 29-year-old South Korean astronaut Yi So-Yeon became the first South Korean to take off on a space odyssey when Russia’s Soyuz TMA which was launched on April 8, 2008. Yi, a biomechanical engineer, was chosen from about 36,000 applicants for the mission, which cost South Korea about $20 m. Yi was initially the back-up astronaut, but was moved up after Russian officials said the first-choice, 31-year-old Ko San, had broken space centre rules.